Bengaluru: Forest minister, Satish Jarkiholi made it clear on Saturday that the demand for a change of leadership of the coalition government in the state was a closed chapter and there was no question of Congress Legislature Party leader, Siddaramaiah, taking over as Chief Minister.
“There will be no question of a change of guard for the next four years,” he asserted, speaking to reporters here. Confirming that Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had offered to step down following the coalition partners’ debacle in the Lok Sabha poll, he said none of the ministers present at the Cabinet meeting held on Friday accepted his proposal.
“Mr Kumaraswamy offered the CM’s post to the Congress and also his party’s support to it, but no one took him up on it. He event went to the extent of offering to support Mr Siddaramaiah as Chief Minister, but this too was rejected,” he added.
On the “Siddu for CM” campaign by some MLAs, Mr Jarkiholi said every legislator wanted him as Chief Minister, but this was “irrelevant” now. All Congress and JD(S) leaders had been instructed not to make any statement in public that would affect the coalition government and even the demand for a Dalit Chief Minister would not arise for the next four years, he said, stressing, “Mr Kumaraswamy will continue as CM for the next four years.”
