Day after Siddaramaiah denies leadership change, Shivakumar’s ‘chair’ remark fuels speculation

BENGALURU: A day after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ruled out any change in leadership and asserted he would complete his full term, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar stirred speculation with a metaphor-laden remark, saying, “It is difficult to find a chair. When you find a chair, you have to come and sit on the raft.”

Shivakumar made the remark while inaugurating the Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Jayanti celebrations organised by the Bangalore Bar Association on Friday.

“There are so many chairs, come and sit. It is difficult to find a chair. When you find a chair, you have to come and sit on the raft. If you look at yourself, you look like tyagis,” he said, addressing lawyers present at the event.

His comments sparked fresh speculation amid rumours about a power-sharing agreement in the Congress, even as both leaders continue to deny any change in leadership.

During the event, Shivakumar also announced a series of measures to support the Bar Association, including the allocation of 10 acres of land, financial grants, and annual awards in the name of Kempegowda.

He said Rs 5 crore would be provided from the Greater Bangalore Authority (GBA) for the association’s development, Rs 5 lakh annually for Kempegowda Jayanti celebrations, and two lawyers would be honoured each year with the Kempegowda Award.

“The solar grid system for the association building will be inspected within a week. There was talk about this earlier. You should get behind the officials and get the work done. Also, you said that this organisation needs land. Therefore, 10 acres of revenue land will be given to you based on availability. If there is land within 20 km of the city, find it yourself. Utilise the money we give you for good works that will benefit you,” Shivakumar said.

“Rs 5 lakh will be given to the Bar Association every year for the celebration of Kempegowda Jayanti. Rs 5 crore will be given from GBA for the use of the association. Kempegowda Award will be given to two lawyers every year,” Shivakumar said.

He said the state government is committed to preserving the vision of Bengaluru’s founder, Kempegowda, through the newly formed ‘Greater Bangalore Authority’. He also announced that the government is planning to invest Rs 1 lakh crore in upcoming projects aimed at the city’s growth, with support from both the Governor and opposition leaders.

“Bangalore is not a planned city. But Kempegowda was the one who built the city in a planned manner. He implemented Krishnadevaraya’s ideas here. He built and lit up this town to promote trade and commerce. We have taken the initiative through the ‘Greater Bangalore Authority’ to save his values and ideas. The Governor has also cooperated, saying that Shivakumar has vision. Opposition leader Ashok is also a good public figure. He has also cooperated in this. In the coming days, there is a plan to spend Rs. 1 lakh crore on projects for the development of Bengaluru,” he said.

“We are the ones who started Kempegowda Jayanti and the authority. We are the ones who said that Kempegowda Jayanti should be celebrated in every town. I have taken the Bangalore Urban Development Department by storm. I have my own dreams for this city. Speaking at a media conference after coming out of Tihar Jail, I said that I was born a farmer, then a businessman, accidentally an education lover, and a politician by choice. I dreamed of becoming a politician in my school days. From there, I organised and raised it,” he added.

On Thursday, CM Siddaramaiah dismissed speculation about a change in the state’s leadership, calling it a media creation and stating that there has been no discussion on the matter in the Congress party.

Speaking at a media conference at Karnataka Bhavan, Siddaramaiah asserted that the issue of change of Chief Ministers is a creation of the media, and there is no room for speculation.

“The state Congress in charge (Randeep Singh Surjewala) has dismissed the question of a change in the Chief Minister, saying that there is no room for speculation on this issue. The media create these speculations, and there has been no discussion on the change of the Chief Minister in the Congress circle,” he said.

Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have publicly said that they will abide by the high command’s decision. “It is natural that the issue of transfer of power should arise when the government has been in power for two and a half years. But there is no agreement on this,” Siddaramaiah said.

He reiterated that the post of Chief Minister is not vacant and added that Deputy CM Shivakumar himself had said that the post of Chief Minister is not vacant.

Responding to comments from some Congress MLAs expressing their opinion on the change, he said that they were expressing their personal opinions, not the party’s decision. “The speculation of the handover of power does not make any sense,” he added. (ANI)