Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Bengaluru: Reacting to veteran Congress leader R V Deshpande’s willingness to become chief minister if the situation demands, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday cryptically maintained that the chief minister’s post is not vacant now.
Deshpande, who is also the chairman of the Administrative Reforms Commission, had said in Mysuru on Sunday that he was ready to be chief minister if current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress’ central leaders agree.
This statement triggered debate in political circles about the possibility of Siddaramaiah being replaced if the High Court verdict goes against him in the alleged MUDA site allotment scam.
Shivakumar told reporters, “Siddaramaiah is leading the government for now.”
He, however, quickly added that it’s not wrong on the part of a senior leader such as Deshpande to have chief ministerial ambitions. “I think he should not have spoken about it in the media. He is a senior member and certainly deserves the respect,” Shivakumar, who is also state Congress unit president, said.
Asked about the party’s move if the court’s judgment in the case of MUDA goes against Siddaramaiah, he said that there would be no impact.
“Siddaramaiah is the chief minister and he will continue to be so,” he noted.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Karwar, Mankal Vaidya said that R V Deshpande is eligible to be the chief minister.