"I am CM till high command says; will complete full term": Siddaramaiah on Karnataka power tussle

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 17 : Dismissing any uncertainty over leadership in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday reiterated that he will complete his "full term".
"We will complete the full term and return to power in 2028...I'm the CM till the high command says," the Karnataka CM said.
Speculation over whether DK Shivakumar would be appointed CM by the Congress high command persisted for a few days and was subsequently clarified by the party after the two leaders met for breakfast at each other's residences and held a joint press conference to demonstrate party unity.
Earlier, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivkumar dismissed speculation about the nature of a dinner meeting that he had.
Shivakumar said, "Who said? There was no dinner meeting or anything. I had gone for a dinner to my former DCC president to pay respect, they contributed a lot to Karnataka, Belgavi. So to honor them, I went along with my friends. There is no other politics."
Earlier, the BJP in Karnataka mounted an all-out attack on the Siddaramaiah government in the state, terming the incumbent government as the most unpopular.
BJP MLA and Karnataka Assembly LoP R Ashoka said, "As compared to Siddaramaiah of 2013, Siddaramaiah of 2025 is the worst. This term is the worst in the history of Karnataka. Totally unpopular."
BJP MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy alleged that in the tussle between CM Siddaramiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar over the top post, the state's interests have been ignored.