"No 50-50 Formula": Siddaramaiah Doubles Down Amid Replacement Buzz

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah issued a firm 'no vacancy' message Thursday after the power struggle with his deputy, DK Shivakumar, reached the Congress' head office in Delhi.

"DK Shivakumar himself said there is no vacancy for the Chief Minister post," Siddaramaiah told reporters in Delhi this morning, "There is no 50-50 formula. I am the Chief Minister of Karnataka..."

The '50-50 formula' was in reference to reports the Congress had agreed a power-sharing deal between Siddaramaiah and DKS, as Shivakumar is popularly called, after the 2023 election.

The Congress' joy at victory over the Bharatiya Janata Party two years ago had been quickly replaced by tension as Siddaramaiah and DKS squabbled over who would become Chief Minister.

DKS, credited with orchestrating the party's win in 2023, was hoping to be suitably rewarded, but the Congress opted for Siddaramaiah, who had the support of the MLAs.

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There was talk then that Siddaramaiah agreed to step down halfway through his term - which will be in September. Over the past few weeks that 'deal' has been repeatedly referred to by MLAs loyal to Shivakumar, but those loyal to Siddaramaiah have denied any such agreement.

This morning Siddaramaiah rubbished talk of a 'deal' and said he would complete his term. That remark was an echo of what he said earlier this month, when DKS and he were at an event in Mysuru.

The Chief Minister grabbed his deputy's hand and raised it with his, and said, "Our government will last for five years... like a rock...", while DKS smiled but remained silent.

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in a show of unity in Mysuru.

The squabbling leaders - who have presented the Congress with a headache it did not want, particularly as it preps for a critical Assembly election in Bihar - are both in Delhi.

On paper the Delhi trips are related to state infrastructre projects.

But the timing of these meetings - and confirmation that both will meet, independent of each other, with former party bosses Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi - has raised eyebrows.

The Congress sent troubleshooter Randeep Surjewala to Karnataka earlier this month to sort out this issue. Surjewala, who brokered peace in 2023, appeared to have done that after DKS, albeit grumpily, backed down. "Answer is no..." he told reporters when asked about a Karnataka leadership change.

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DKS later told NDTV, "I don't want MLAs to speak for me anymore" and called on his loyalists to focus instead on the 2028 Assembly election and ensure the Congress retains power in the state.

But since then a Congress MLA, CP Yogeshwar, from his camp has again demanded DKS be named the new Chief Minister, declaring he has the support of a majority of the lawmakers.

READ | "Yes, Many Want...": Congress MLA Triggers Siddaramaiah vs DKS Round 3

"Yes, many MLAs are united... he should become Chief Minister... MLAs want the same thing..." he said, echoing claims by another loyalist, Iqbal Hussain, who said over a 100 would back Shivakumar.

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