'No In One Word': Congress Denies Leadership Change In Karnataka Amid Reports Of Power Tussle Between Siddaramaiah & DKS

Bengaluru: The Congress high command on Tuesday put an end to all the speculation about replacing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Giving clarification over the development, Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala said that there was no change in leadership in the state. Notably, Surjewala is the party's Karnataka in-charge.

He said that he has been meeting the MLAs and MPs to understand the work done by them in their respective constituencies. "Some of you asked me are you taking opinion on leadership change. The answer I had given yesterday also and I am answering again today-- the answer is clearly 'no' in one word," he said in a press conference.

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the Karnataka State Congress president, was also present at the press conference.

Surjewala's Press Briefing:

"We are meeting the MLAs and MPs. We are trying to understand what work they have done in their constituencies. It's important to review their performance," Surjewala said. He further added that it is necessary to track the status of the implementation of the five guarantees, which include free bus travel for women.

Speaking on the allegations of some of the Congress MLAs about no development work being carried out in their segment, Surjewala said there are sufficient funds available with the government for development in Karnataka.

Reports of a possible leadership change in Karnataka have been making the rounds on social media over the past few days. The Congress high command on Monday stepped into the power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar as it seemed to have been getting out of control. Surjewala is currently on a three-day visit to Karnataka amid the ongoing power struggle.