Amid corruption allegations on Siddaramaiah, power tussle intensifies in Karnataka Congress for CM post

Although the Karnataka Congress and its ministers assert that Siddaramaiah will retain his role, some party members have openly signalled their readiness to step in should he step down.

Senior leaders MB Patil and Shivanand Patil have been involved in a heated exchange over whether seniority should determine the next chief minister.

"If the party decides and you have the support of the legislators (for the chief minister's post), there is no question of seniors or juniors," MB Patil said.

"As of today, the seat (chief minister's post) is not vacant. But one day, naturally, I will occupy the seat. I am confident about that. The opportunity for Shivanand Patil is far off, as he has come from JDS/BJP," he added.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's struggle with corruption allegations has triggered a power tussle within the state Congress, with several leaders expressing interest in the chief minister's position.

Although the Karnataka Congress and its ministers assert that Siddaramaiah will retain his role, some party members have openly signalled their readiness to step in should he step down.

Senior leaders MB Patil and Shivanand Patil have been involved in a heated exchange over whether seniority should determine the next chief minister.

MB Patil was reacting to Shivanand Patil's statement, where the latter emphasised the importance of seniority in the party.

"There are many people who are seniors to him (MB Patil). Are there no seniors? He will have to wait, shouldn't you wait when there are seniors?" he asked.

Shivanand Patil, while excluding himself from the race for the chief minister's position, expressed support for Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar to take on the role.

"There are a lot of people who have worked hard for the party. Our KPCC president (DK Shivakumar) worked hard and built the party. He wanted to become chief minister but at the end someone else became CM. There are others and juniors who should get a chance to become CM. MB Patil has forgotten that Siddaramaiah was in JDS too. I won't remind him this," he said.

In addition to MB Patil, other senior ministers like Home Minister G Parameshwara and PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi are also being considered for the chief minister's role.

Supporters of Jarkiholi have even initiated a campaign in Belagavi, advocating for him to become Karnataka's next chief minister if the position becomes vacant.

An advertisement in a prominent Karnataka daily featured Satish Jarkiholi's photos alongside BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his brother, BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi.

The campaign, supported by the Rajneesh Acharya Foundation, has garnered significant attention, with many expressing hope for Belagavi to have its first chief minister.

However, Satish Jarkiholi downplayed any aspirations for the role, stating he has not staked a claim and believes Siddaramaiah will remain in the position. Meanwhile, senior Congress MLA RV Deshpande expressed interest in the chief minister's post last week.

"I have become minister many times. If anything, I have to become chief minister. Everyone has ambitions in life. We shouldn't run towards it. I leave it to high command," Deshpande had said.

"I am older to Siddaramaiah by two years. The CM post change is far from true. Siddaramaiah is the chief minister and will continue in the post. If there's an opportunity for me to become chief minister, Siddaramaiah should give permission as he's my friend," he added.

Siddaramaiah faces scrutiny over alleged irregularities in the allocation of compensatory land to his wife by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) during his tenure as Chief Minister.

The controversy concerns a 3.16-acre plot in Kesaru village owned by Siddaramaiah's wife, Parvathi.

MUDA acquired this land for a layout development and, as compensation, allocated 14 premium sites in Vijayanagar to Parvathi in 2022 under a 50:50 scheme.

Activists claim the compensated plot has a higher market value than the original land owned by Parvathi.

While the BJP has demanded Siddaramaiah's resignation over the allegations, the Congress denies any plans for his removal.

The Karnataka High Court is set to resume the hearing on Siddaramaiah's petition on Monday, challenging Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot's sanction for his prosecution in the matter.

Siddaramaiah had filed this petition on August 19, questioning the legality of the Governor's order.