Mysuru/Bengaluru: Siddaramaiah on Tuesday equalled Devaraj Urs’ record as the longest-serving Chief Minister of Karnataka and expressed confidence about him completing the full five-year term while maintaining that the Congress high command will have to decide on it.
Siddaramaiah’s deputy and another claimant to the CM’s chair, DK Shivakumar wished the CM “good luck,” while responding to his remarks on completion of term.
On Tuesday, Siddaramaiah achieved a key milestone by equalling Urs’ record of number of days in office, as the longest serving CM of Karnataka for 2,792 days, and will surpass it on January 7. This unique record has come even as the power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. The speculation was fueled by the “power-sharing” pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
“I have not done politics to break any record; it is only a coincidence. I did not know how many years and days Devaraj Urs served as CM. Today because of the blessings of the people, I have got an opportunity to equal Devaraj Urs’s record. Tomorrow it will be broken,” Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru.
Asked if he will create another record by completing the full five-year term, he said it has to be decided by the Congress high command. “I don’t know when the high command will decide.”
To a question whether he has confidence about completing the full term and that the high command will decide in his favour, he said, “I have confidence. If I had no confidence, how would I have been the Chief Minister?... it all depends upon the high command’s decision.”
Regarding his meeting with AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal on Monday in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah said the Congress leader was on his way to Bengaluru from Wayanad, before heading for Delhi. “As he was in Mysuru and I too was here, we met.”
Ruling out any discussion on cabinet reshuffle during the meeting, in response to a question as to when it can be expected, he said it will be discussed with party high command when he is called.
Meanwhile, reacting to a question on Siddaramaiah’s remarks on completing term, Shivakumar in Bengaluru told reporters, “Let good things happen. I wish him all the best. Good luck.”
Asked whether the chief minister’s statement could lead to confusion, Shivakumar said, “You (the media) are creating confusion. We don’t have any confusion. You have confusion. I wish him all the best, good luck.” Shivakumar also congratulated Siddaramaiah for equalling Urs’ record.
Urs, who is considered an icon of social justice and land reforms in the state, was a two-term chief minister -- for 2,113 days from March 20, 1972 to December 31, 1977, and for 679 days in his second term from February 28, 1978, to January 7, 1980.