Siddaramaiah does a U-turn after 'full-term' remark

Bengaluru: A day after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he would be at the helm of affairs for a full five-year term, the ruling Congress kept falling into a spiral as discussions on change in leadership refused to die down. 

On Friday, Siddaramaiah accused reporters of misquoting him. "I say one thing, but you write something else," he said. "I said (on Thursday) that we would go by whatever the high command decides. This is a high command party." 

Siddaramaiah was responding to a question on Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna's statement that Home Minister G Parameshwara should become the next chief minister. 

Speaking at an event in Tumakuru, Rajanna, a Siddaramaiah aide, said Parameshwara has the good luck. "Anything can happen in the future. If someone from our district becomes the CM...we will work towards that. As long as Siddaramaiah is there, we are with him. The day he decides to step down, we want Parameshwara to become the CM," he said. 

Ministers in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet lined up to point towards the high command when asked about the chief minister's tenure, perhaps wary of the gag order issued by AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala. 

"Nobody knows what was discussed or decided in Delhi during government formation. The CM and the party president (D K Shivakumar) know. So, whatever we say will not be right," Parameshwara said. However, on Rajanna's statement, Parameshwara said he would like to become the CM if the opportunity came his way. 

IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge said the high command has to decide on the CM's tenure. "Except 3-4 people, nobody knows what has been discussed," he said. "If the high command tomorrow says I have to become CM, then I will say yes." 

Even Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, a Siddaramaiah loyalist, ducked a question on this. "Siddaramaiah has said the Congress government will be there for five years. And, he is the CM for now," he said. Asked if Siddaramaiah will be the CM for five years, he said: "You should ask high command." 

According to Labour Minister Santosh Lad, the high command will decide on reshuffling the Cabinet and tenure of the CM. "If the high command decides, then let’s see."