Bengaluru, Nov 27 (IANS) Amid the ongoing leadership tussle in Karnataka, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Thursday, asserted that the “mandate lasts five years”.

The development has gained significance as Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Thursday morning that he would summon both CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar to Delhi to resolve the matter of power sharing in the state.

Taking to social media platform X on Thursday evening, CM Siddaramaiah said, “The mandate given by the people of Karnataka is not a moment, but a responsibility that lasts five full years. The Congress party, including me, is walking the talk for our people with compassion, consistency, and courage.”

His post was made in response to a cryptic message by Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar earlier in the day about “keeping one’s word”.

Siddaramaiah’s X post, titled “Our word to Karnataka is not a slogan. It means the world to us,” also reads, “A word is not power unless it betters the world.”

Sources said that Siddaramaiah’s X post is both a retaliation to Shivakumar’s message and an assertion of his own position.

In his post, the Chief Minister added, “A word is not power unless it betters the world for the people.”

Highlighting the government’s achievements, he said, “Proud to declare that the Shakti scheme has delivered more than 600 crore free trips to the women of our state. From the very first month of forming the government, we transformed our guarantees into action — not in words, but on the ground.”

He listed several schemes: “Shakti – More than 600 crore free trips, restoring dignity and mobility to working women. Gruha Lakshmi – Empowering 1.24 crore women-led families. Yuva Nidhi – More than 3 lakh youth supported with security and hope. Anna Bhagya 2.0 – Food security for 4.08 crore citizens. Gruha Jyoti – Free electricity for 1.64 crore families.”

Referring to his earlier tenure as the CM of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said, “In my first term (2013–18), 157 of 165 promises were fulfilled, achieving more than 95 per cent delivery. In this term, 243 of the 593 promises are already completed, and every remaining promise will be fulfilled with commitment, credibility, and care.”

He reiterated, “Our word to Karnataka is not a slogan; it means the world to us.”

Earlier, Deputy CM Shivakumar had posted on X, “Word power is world power,” adding, “The biggest force in the world is to keep one’s word. Be it a judge, a President, or anyone else –including myself — everyone has to walk the talk. Word power to world power.”

However, Shivakumar later claimed that he had released a social media post, calling it fake.

According to sources, the development clearly indicates a tug of war between CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM Shivakumar.

–IANS

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