Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at a programme marking the completion of 100 days of his government, at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Thursday.
As his government completed 100 days in office, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar flexed his political muscle, expressing confidence that he would continue as Chief Minister even after 2028, when the next Assembly elections are due.“Why are you not confident when I am?” Mr. Shivakumar shot back during an interaction with editors on the eve of his government completing 100 days, when he was asked whether he still stood by his earlier statement that he would be Chief Minister not just for two years, the remaining term of the Assembly, but for the next eight years, including the next Assembly term beginning in 2028.“My confidence is in the people of the State, myself and my colleagues. All of us will work together,” he said.When asked about some leaders publicly stating that his predecessor, Siddaramaiah, should be the next Chief Minister, Mr. Shivakumar said only time would provide an answer. Hailing Mr. Siddaramaiah as “my leader”, Mr. Shivakumar said, “I seek his advice whenever required, particularly on protecting the State’s interests.”‘In the hands of judges’Referring to former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s demand for implementation of the caste survey report and an increase in OBC reservation, Mr. Shivakumar said he and the party were committed to the issues raised by the former Chief Minister, as “OBC, SC/ST interests, social justice and equality form the ideology of the Congress party”.He pointed out that a court stay related to the caste survey report had come in the way of its implementation. Carefully stating that it was not possible for him at this juncture to set a timeframe for implementing it, he said the matter was in the hands of the judiciary.“It is our duty to provide justice to all communities. At the same time, I should also take into account what is being said by the courts, society, the party and its leaders,” he said. He asserted that all the guarantee schemes, barring the Anna Bhagya, were the ones formulated by him when he was the KPCC president. On MekedatuStating that there was nothing contentious about the proposed Mekedatu balancing reservoir project, Mr. Shivakumar said the government was ready to conduct the groundbreaking ceremony for the project once it received all the necessary clearances. The Chief Minister also reiterated that he intended to hold elections to all the local bodies before December, as the court too wanted the State to complete the election process. Referring to the fact that he had only one-and-a-half years left in the current term, Mr. Shivakumar said the biggest challenge in achieving his goals was the shortage of time. He indicated that the process of getting things done in a democratic set-up takes time, while legal issues were also delaying several projects.If courts permit...Expressing confidence that all the schemes announced by him would be implemented, Mr. Shivakumar said their financial feasibility had been considered before they were announced. He also expressed confidence that the tunnel road project would see the light of day, provided there was no court intervention. Published - September 10, 2026 07:35 pm IST
