Amid Congress leaders in Karnataka openly discussing possible change of Chief Minister in the state, All India Congress Committee president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday said it is up to the party high command to decide on such matters and that one should not create any unnecessary problem.
Kharge was responding to media queries about some Congress leaders in the state claiming about a change in the post of chief minister in October.
"See, that is in the hands of the high command. Nobody can say here what is going on in the high command. This is left to the high command and the high command has got power to take further action. But unnecessarily one should not create problem," he told reporters in Bengaluru.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also asserted that the Congress government in the state will remain 'as solid as a rock' for five years and maintained that he and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar share good terms.
He also hit out at Bharatiya Janata Party leaders for claiming he would not inaugurate the world-famous Mysuru Dasara celebrations this year, calling them 'experts in lying'.
These remarks come amid renewed speculation about a possible leadership change in Karnataka later this year.
"This government will be as solid as a 'bande' (rock) for five years," Siddaramaiah told reporters, with Shivakumar -- often referred to as 'bande' by his supporters -- by his side.
Asked whether he and Shivakumar were on good terms, Siddaramaiah replied, "We are on good terms."
He then held and raised Shivakumar's hand as a sign of unity.
To a question on attempts to create a rift between them, he said, "We don't listen to what others say." Shivakumar nodded in agreement.
When asked about BJP leaders claiming he would not be the Chief Minister to inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara celebrations this year, Siddaramaiah turned the question to the media. When reporters said they believed he would inaugurate the event as CM, he quipped, "Then fine."
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"BJP leaders are experts in lying. Sriramulu, who made this claim, has lost how many times? He lost both the Parliament and the Assembly elections. How can someone who keeps losing predict the future?" he asked.
Speculation over leadership change has resurfaced after Congress MLA H A Iqbal Hussain claimed that Shivakumar may get an opportunity to become Chief Minister in two to three months, while Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna hinted at 'revolutionary' political developments in the state after September.
Talks of a power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar had been doing the rounds for some time but had subsided following clear instructions from the party high command.
Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, is visiting the state and began meetings with party legislators.
Asked about Surjewala's visit, Siddaramaiah said, "He is the AICC in-charge General Secretary. He will seek opinions from MLAs, hear their concerns, and discuss what needs to be done to strengthen the organisation. He will do his job."
According to party sources, as part of his three-day visit, Surjewala is likely to hold mostly one-on-one meetings with legislators.
On Monday, he was scheduled to meet MLAs from the Chikkaballapura and Kolar regions.
He is expected to hear their grievances and collect feedback on the government's functioning, sources said.
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