Power-sharing: Shivakumar will not become CM, says BJP

Bengaluru: Taking a jibe at Congress Minister MB Patil’s remarks on power-sharing formula, Karnataka BJP on Tuesday said Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar will not become chief minister because Siddaramaiah would not let him be.
“DK Shivakumar is not going to become CM, @siddaramaiah is not going to let him be. @MBPatil has just sent a direct warning to @DKShivakumar with this statement!” the saffron party tweeted.
In Mysuru, Patil denied the power-sharing formula, and said that Siddaramaiah will remain chief minister for the next five years.
“Siddaramaiah will be the chief minister for the entire 5 years. Had there been any talk on power-sharing, the top leadership of the party would have definitely told us. There is no such proposal. Our AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal also did not give any such information that day,” he said.
These comments have roiled DK brothers, DK Shivakumar and DK Suresh.
Speaking to reporters here, Shivakumar neither reacted categorically, nor denied power-sharing, implicating that the party’s top brass knows about power-sharing.
Shivakumar said: “Look boss. Let them (MB Patil and others) say anything they want. The party general secretary (KC Venugopal) is there; CM (Siddaramaiah) is there, and AICC President (Mallikarjun Kharge) is there – “Let’s go,” he said.
DyCM’s brother DK Suresh asked the media to pose the question to AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala and Kharge.
“For now, Siddaramaiah is the chief minister. If you (media) want more information, go meet Surjewala and AICC President (Kharge), and collect the information. I do not want to make any sharp reaction. It is inappropriate,” he said.
In view of these developments, the BJP said that there is no guarantee that this government would survive. “Looking at all the developments so far after getting the majority, there is no sign, no guarantee, that this government will be sustainable,” it said.
In his address at New Delhi, Venugopal had dismissed rumours about the power-sharing formula in Karnataka. He had said: “The only power sharing is with the people of Karnataka,” he said.
Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah had a faceoff for CM’s post after the Congress party registered a thumping victory in Karnataka assembly elections. The party high command had to struggle a lot to persuade Shivakumar for DyCM’s post.
The news was also making rounds that Shivakumar had accepted DyCM’s post for the time being after getting assurance of CM’s post later. In such a situation, Patil’s latest statement has all the potential of creating problems for the Congress again in the state.
UNI