Power tussle in Karnataka begins as Minister Patil says Siddaramaiah will be CM for 5 yrs

Bengaluru, May 23 (IANS) Days after the oath-taking ceremony in Karnataka, tension seems to be simmering between the Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar camps after the Chief Minister's loyalist and cabinet minister M.B. Patil claimed that Siddaramaiah will be the CM for a full term of five years.

Patil, however, clarified on Tuesday that he has not made any personal comments over the issue. "I have reiterated what senior leaders announced in the press conference," he said.

Patil on Monday night claimed that Siddaramaiah will complete the tenure of five years. "There are no talks about power sharing and Siddaramaiah will be the CM for the next five years," he said stirring a controversy.

The Congress high command is also maintaining silence over the issue. But, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar's camp maintains that the 30:30 power sharing formula was agreed upon between Siddaramaiah. According to the formula both will become CM's for 30 months each.

Though the power sharing formula is being discussed widely, the official announcement has not yet come.

Last week when CM Siddaramaiah was asked about the power sharing formula, he had posed a counter question to the reporters, saying "From where do they get the confirmation?

M.B. Patil on Tuesday stated, "I won't repeat my words again and again. Yesterday (Monday) the media asked whether Siddaramaiah will be changed from the post of CM. Our leaders had announced that Siddaramaiah is the CM and Shivakumar is Deputy CM. I have repeated what AICC Secretary K.C. Venugopal had told in the press conference."

"I have not given any opinion personally. I don't have any statement to make in this regard," he reiterated.

Sources explained that there is a cold war going between M.B. Patil, the blue-eyed boy of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. Patil, hailing from Lingayat community was an aspirant for the post of deputy Chief Minister.

On Sunday, after noticing M.B. Patil talking to Siddaramaiah while delivering a speech at the Congress headquarters, Shivakumar had openly asked M.B. Patil not to disturb.

Shivakumar is yet to react on Patil's statement on sharing CM post.