Shivakumar will become CM by Dec: Cong MLA

NT Correspondent

Davangere: Amid speculation about a leadership change in Karnataka later this year, Congress MLA Basavaraju V Shivaganga on Sunday claimed that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will become the Chief Minister by December. He asserted that Shivakumar would serve as chief minister for the next 7.5 years from December, as the party is expected to win the next Assembly elections as well. "Write it down, it will happen by December.

I can also write and give it to you in blood if you want, that he (Shivakumar) will become CM by December. If he takes charge in December, he will run the administration, including the next five-year term too, so by and large, he will be CM for 7.5 years," Shivaganga told reporters here. Without explicitly confirming whether a power-sharing agreement exists, the Channagiri MLA responded to a question by emphasising Shivakumar's contributions to the party.

He credited Shivakumar for increasing the party's seat tally in both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. "He (Shivakumar) has made history. He has organised the party, invested his resources, and sacrificed a lot for it. His silence or composure should not be mistaken for weakness. The high command is aware of everything, and I am a hundred per cent sure he will be CM by December," he added. There has been speculation in Karnataka's political circles, particularly within the ruling Congress, about a possible change in leadership later this year.