Mysuru, April 6 Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara stated on Monday that Siddaramaiah will continue as Chief Minister for the full five-year term "under the current circumstances."
However, he maintained that any decision regarding a change in leadership rests solely with the Congress high command.
"We don't know anything (about a leadership change). Who said there would be a change? Who will make the change? The AICC has to do it. Since they haven't said anything, should we keep guessing? When they want to make changes, the high command will say so; they might not make any changes either," Parameshwara told reporters.
When asked if Siddaramaiah will continue as Chief Minister, he said, "Of course, he will, why shouldn't he? Siddaramaiah will continue under the current circumstances."
"If Siddaramaiah cannot continue, it's not for me to say; it will not happen just because I say so; the high command has to say," he added.
Amid the ongoing power struggle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah recently asserted that the party's government will remain in power for two more years, and that he is the Chief Minister of the state.
The leadership struggle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change in Chief Minister after the Congress government completes its halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025.
The speculation has been fueled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023.
In response to a query about Shivakumar's aspirations to become the CM, the Home Minister said, "... He is our party's state president, a senior leader, and the Deputy Chief Minister. Who has to make him the Chief Minister? The high command has to respond; what they say is final. Let's wait until then."
In response to a question on the leadership issue causing a lot of confusion, Parameshwara asked, "Who created the confusion? Did the Congress high command do it?"
Recalling that there was no explicit declaration in 2013 that Siddaramaiah would serve as the CM for five years, but he successfully completed his term until 2018, he said, "When Siddaramaiah was made CM in 2023, he has to be there for the full term. If he will not be there for the full term, the high command has to decide."
Clarifying that the results of the upcoming by-elections in Bagalkote and Davanagere South will have no bearing on the CM's position, the senior Minister said, "Why should they be linked? Has anyone said there will be a change? Let's leave the BJP aside; we don't want their assessment. Should we run the administration based on what the BJP says?"
"There may be some discussion regarding a change within our party, but I'm not ready to say that there will be changes after the by-elections. Others can make their own personal assessments," he added.
By-elections for the Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly constituencies will be held on April 9. The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, respectively.
BJP MP and former CM Basavaraj Bommai recently said that the ongoing power struggle within the ruling Congress has taken a "short break" due to the by-elections, and claimed that the state will witness a "political wrestling" for the Chief Minister's chair in May.