My chair not vacant, says CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said his chair is not vacant but yet journalists are reporting that a change of guard in the state is in the offing.

Referring to the media reports that his deputy D K Shivakumar would replace him anytime soon, Siddaramaiah took a swipe at the “speculative journalism”.

Speaking at the Press Club of Bangalore Award-2024, the CM said, “We don't have any confusion amongst us but journalists are still writing that ‘CM will be changed’. My chair is not vacant but they still say that the CM will be changed.”

He said reports are made based on assumptions, though no such things would have happened. “If people gather for dinner, then it becomes news based on speculation that such discussions would have happened, though we would have discussed something else and not what is reported there,” Siddaramaiah said. He was referring to the dinner meetings hosted by ministers which became a major talking point.