Congress MLA Makes Big Prediction: D K Shivakumar To Become Chief Minister On January 6

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A fresh political buzz has emerged in Karnataka after Congress MLA H A Iqbal Hussain claimed that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar is likely to take over as chief minister early next year. Speaking on Saturday, the Ramanagara legislator said there was a strong possibility that Shivakumar would assume the top post on January 6, replacing incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Hussain told reporters that Shivakumar deserved an opportunity to lead the state and expressed near certainty about the leadership change.“There is a 99 per cent chance that he becomes chief minister on January 6,” he told PTI, reiterating his support for the deputy chief minister.

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When questioned about the importance of the date, Hussain admitted there was no specific reasoning behind it.“I don't know. It's just a random number. Everybody is saying this. It can either be January 6 or 9. These are the two dates,” he said.

The MLA has been vocal in his demand that Shivakumar be elevated to the chief minister's post and had reiterated the same stance publicly a day earlier.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Railways and BJP MP V Somanna weighed in on the leadership debate, throwing his support behind Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara. Speaking at an event in Tumakuru, Somanna said he hoped to see Parameshwara take over as chief minister.“Getting power is luck. I never dreamt that Parameshwara would remain just as the Home minister. It is our wish to see him as CM. Not just me but the people of Tumakuru have this desire to see him as the CM,” he said.

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Responding to a query on Shivakumar, Somanna downplayed the deputy chief minister's prospects.“Leave it. That's secondary. What Shivakumar wants to become depends on his luck. Conduct is even bigger than luck,” he remarked.

Amid these competing claims, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar are expected to meet Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on December 14, sources said. The meeting is scheduled after the Congress's mega rally at Ramlila Maidan, organised as part of the party's 'Vote Chor Gaddi Chhod' campaign, which alleges collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission.

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According to a report by Hindustan Times, the meeting comes against the backdrop of an intensifying leadership tussle within the Karnataka Congress. The party currently holds a comfortable majority, with nearly 140 MLAs in the 224-member Assembly.

Speculation around a possible power-sharing arrangement has gained momentum since the government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. Reports have suggested an understanding to split the chief minister's tenure into two equal terms of 2.5 years each as part of a generational transition.
(With inputs from news agency PTI)

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