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The tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar for the chief ministerial post escalated on Thursday, turning into a war of words as the two leaders clashed over fulfilling past commitments.
In a cryptic post on Twitter, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said, “The mandate given by the people of Karnataka is not a moment, but a responsibility that lasts for five full years. The Congress party, including me, is speaking for our people with compassion, consistency and courage.”
In his post, Siddaramaiah explained how he “made the world better”, talking about five guarantee schemes – Shakti, Griha Lakshmi, Yuva Nidhi, Anna Bhagya and Griha Jyoti.
Amid the growing power tussle, Shivakumar asserted that “word power is world power”, drawing a mocking reply from Siddaramaiah who said, “A word is not power unless it makes the world better for the people.”
Shivakumar wrote on social media on Thursday, “Expressing your point is the greatest power in the world! The power of words is world power.”
While Siddaramaiah has been insisting that he will complete his five-year term, Shivakumar wants to replace him in the coveted post as the Congress government has completed half of its five-year term on November 20.
The cryptic post is being seen as Shivakumar reminding the Congress and Siddaramaiah about the rumored power-sharing deal between the two in 2023, when the two compete for the CM’s chair after the party’s victory in the state elections.
The schemes mentioned by the Chief Minister in various sectors include free electricity, cash to women heads and free bus travel for women. Siddaramaiah said that during his first term, from 2013 to 2018, 157 out of 165 promises were fulfilled with more than 95% delivery rate. In the current tenure, more than 243 out of 593 assurances have already been fulfilled, he said, and “every remaining promise will be fulfilled with commitment, credibility and care”.
The Chief Minister said, “The Congress party, including myself, is speaking for our people with compassion, consistency and courage. Our word for Karnataka is not a slogan; it means the world to us.”
After the declaration of assembly election results on 20 May 2023, there was a tough competition for the post of Chief Minister between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. Ultimately Congress convinced Shivkumar to accept the post of Deputy CM.
At the time, some reports suggested that the two leaders had agreed to a “rotational chief ministerial” arrangement in which Shivakumar would take over after 2.5 years, although the party never officially confirmed this.
However, Siddaramaiah rejected these claims and said that he would serve as Chief Minister for the full five-year term.
(with inputs from agencies)
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