Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, has refuted rumors of a potential change in leadership in the state, asserting that his father enjoys the full support of the Congress high command and will complete his five-year term.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Yathindra, a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC), dismissed speculation fueled by recent comments from Congress MLAs and ministers suggesting a possible political shift later in the year. Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna's statement, in particular, cited the existence of multiple "power centres" within the ruling Congress, igniting the speculation. In response to Rajanna's comments, Yathindra stated that only the minister could explain the context of his statement.

Yathindra downplayed the rumors, calling them routine in politics and attributing them to groups within the party who aspire to see their own candidates in the Chief Minister's position. He emphasized that the high command has consistently supported Siddaramaiah since the government's formation and continues to do so, with MLAs also firmly behind him.

He noted that such rumors have been circulating since the government's formation. "From the beginning, there had been talk that Siddaramaiah would be removed within six months. Later, it was said he would be replaced after the MUDA case came to light — but nothing of the sort has happened," he said.

Adding to the speculation, Congress MLA Pradeep Eshwar recently praised Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, expressing his wish for Shivakumar to take "one more step forward" in his political career. Yathindra's remarks serve as the most definitive rebuttal from the Siddaramaiah camp thus far. He stated that "Repeated statements are being made because there are certain factions that want to become CM, so they keep trying to spread rumours,".

In related news, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has criticized RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale's call to review the words "socialist" and "secular" in the Constitution's Preamble. Siddaramaiah stated that the RSS believes in Manusmriti and lacks respect for the Indian Constitution and faith in democracy. He added that the words were inserted into the Constitution after a discussion in the Parliament, and amendment to the Constitution cannot be done as per Hosabale's wish.