Siddaramaiah will serve full term, says CM’s economic advisor, rules out power-sharing pact
In Koppal, Karnataka, the Congress caucus is growing uneasy, and six‑time MLA Basavaraj Rayareddy—who also serves as the chief minister’s economic adviser—made it clear on Tuesday that there will be no power‑sharing deal in the state. He insists that Siddaramaiah will remain chief minister for the full five‑year term.
Rayareddy warned that he will actively oppose any attempt to replace the sitting chief minister. At a press briefing he challenged the notion of a private agreement, asking, “If agreements are made between themselves over power sharing, is it to be treated like a contract?”
He reminded reporters that D.K. Shivakumar, the deputy chief minister and state Congress president, has not formally put himself forward for the top post. Rayareddy explained that any change must be decided in the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting and that any supposed “promise” must be clarified before action is taken. He also said informal understandings between individuals should not be treated as official agreements, and added there is no split between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. He called attempts to destabilise the government deliberate.
“The CM will stay in office for five years – that’s what I foresee,” Rayareddy said.
He noted that Siddaramaiah took oath on May 20, 2023, after securing majority support in the CLP meeting. Given that, he asked why anyone would now want to replace him. “They say talks have taken place, but we were never told. We never said that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar would split the chief minister’s post. As things stand, Siddaramaiah is chief minister for five years. Shivakumar has expressed a desire to become chief minister, and it’s natural for him to rally allies,” he added.
Rayareddy stressed that there is no factional split and no separate group backing either candidate. “It’s normal for any leader to aspire to the post,” he said. “No one has suggested that Siddaramaiah step down now that the government has completed two and a half years.”
He also pointed out that Siddaramaiah has the support of all Lingayat MLAs and the community. “Has any member of the Lingayat community demanded his removal? All prominent community leaders have recently praised him. Siddaramaiah is a socialist and follows Basavanna’s teachings, upholding the founder’s ideals more strongly than any other Lingayat leader. For that reason, all Lingayats, including myself, support him,” Rayareddy concluded.
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