Mangaluru/Mysuru: Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar has again triggered speculation over a possible leadership change in Karnataka. “Time will reveal whether there will be a change in leadership,” he said ahead of the state budget scheduled for the first week of March.Shivakumar made the remark in Mangaluru Saturday, a day after CM Siddaramaiah’s son and MLC Yathindra asserted that the Congress high command had sent a “clear signal” that there would be no leadership change in the state.Reacting to Yathindra’s statement Friday, Shivakumar had said sarcastically, “He (Yathindra) is our high command. I will accept whatever he says with respect. As he has made a statement as if he is the high command, let us accept him as the high command.”Saturday, Shivakumar went a step ahead and said, “People have a dream, the MLAs have a dream, and you (the media) also have a dream that I should become CM. But only time and high command will reveal whether there will be a change.”On demands by some dalit organisations in Chikkamagaluru to make home minister G Parameshwara the CM, he said, “His fans are eager. There is nothing wrong with it. I can’t say no to that.”In Mysuru, Parameshwara said the Congress high command had found no confusion over leadership and that Siddaramaiah would continue as CM. He said the high command had not taken any decision on a leadership change and denied any knowledge of a power-sharing agreement about Shivakumar succeeding Siddaramaiah after two and half years.“What I know is that the Congress legislature party (CLP) has elected him (Siddaramaiah), and he is continuing as CM. So he will remain CM till the Congress high command decides otherwise,” he added.On sloganeering by supporters projecting future CMs, Parameshwara said such incidents were common. “I have heard slogans in my favour and also in favour of others. That does not mean there is confusion in the party,” he added.
