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Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Sunday brushed off as ‘sarcasm’ JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy’s offer to support the Congress government if Deputy CM D K Shivakumar is made the Karnataka CM.
Responding to media queries at Mysuru, the CM said that Kumaraswamy had said it sarcastically. “We are happy that Kumaraswamy can also be sarcastic,” Siddaramaiah said.
On Saturday, Kumaraswamy, while attacking the Congress over the confusion regarding the change of leadership in the state had said, “Will you (Shivakumar) become the CM? If so, all 19 JD(S) MLAs will extend support to you tomorrow itself.” Subsequently, he lashed out at the Congress party for trying to poach JD(S) MLAs as the state government was “feeling insecure mere five months after assuming power.”
Shivakumar hit back saying that Kumaraswamy belonged to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). “We don’t have any relationship with NDA. Let them come out of NDA and then talk about extending support,” he said.
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All these developments are being seen in the context of the leadership debate in the seat, which has ebbed and swelled during the five months of Congress rule. Though CM Siddaramaiah has reiterated recently that he will remain the CM for the next five years, speculations on the change in leadership after he completes two-and-a-half years in power have remained.
After a meeting with AICC leaders last week, a breakfast meeting was held Saturday where Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and other senior ministers took part. Following the meeting, directions were issued to all party MLAs and ministers not to make any comments on internal matters of the party.
CM Siddaramaiah on Sunday also accused BJP of manufacturing a debate on change of leadership in Karnataka. “Both BJP and JD(S) are frustrated. They had thought that they could form the government together,” he said.
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