Despite warning from Congress, leaders indulge in war of words over CM face

Bengaluru Despite warnings from the high command on not to give statements or projections on Congress’s next chief ministerial candidate, at least two Congress legislators--Zameer Ahmed Khan and Raghavendra Hitnal--on Monday said that the entire state wants Siddaramaiah to become the next chief minister, widening the growing cracks within the party

Bengaluru Despite warnings from the high command on not to give statements or projections on Congress’s next chief ministerial candidate, at least two Congress legislators--Zameer Ahmed Khan and Raghavendra Hitnal--on Monday said that the entire state wants Siddaramaiah to become the next chief minister, widening the growing cracks within the party.

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Amid the growing crisis, DK Shivakumar, the president of the state unit, on Monday met Randeep Singh Surjewala, the general secretary in-charge of Karnataka in Delhi. Soon after, Surjewala issued a statement warning any legislator from projecting the chief ministerial candidate in the state.

“I have noted with concern that certain individuals in the Congress party have recently become prone to issuing statements about leadership in the state or leadership post

Congress Government formation. I take this opportunity to forewarn them to avoid such comments completely. Central Congress leadership & MLA’s will decide the issue at an appropriate time,” Surjewala said in a statement on Monday

The widening rift between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah has added to the challenges of the of the principal opposition in Karnataka who have continue to fight among themselves and are yet to capitalise on the growing dissent within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government headed by BS Yediyurappa.

Repeated statements by the likes of Khan have irked Shivakumar, who also is also an aspirant for the top job in the state.

“The chief minister’s post is not empty nor is there an election for it,” Shivakumar said on Monday.

He reiterated his earlier statement that there would be no “personality worship but only party worship”, taking a dig at Siddaramaiah and his followers like Khan.

With likes of Khan rallying behind Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar too found support in senior Congress leader and former state party president G Parameshwara. “I want to tell our leaders that first we have to bring our party to power,” Parameshwara said on Monday. He added that when it comes to the party, Shivakumar as president is supreme.

Legislators and other leaders in the Congress have tried to identify with either camp, giving rise to more infighting within the party.

“I have said that it was my opinion and the people of the state want Siddaramaiah to be CM,” Khan said on Monday.

“Why Should DK Shivakumar have a problem when it is the state’s people who want this,” he added. Khan, who has identified with Siddaramaiah’s camp, further said that the people of the state did not want Shivakumar.

Siddaramaiah, who continues to consolidate his position within the Congress, on Monday said that he never made such a statement to this effect.

“I never said I will become chief minister. It is their personal opinion, made out of admiration,” Siddaramaiah said, defending the likes of Khan.

Denying any factionalism within the Congress, he added that this was their personal opinion and not that of the party.

The BJP took a dig at the Congress party president and the recent developments surrounding the chief minsiterial candidate issue.

In a Twitter post in Kannada, the state unit of the BJP said, “Talking about internal issues of the BJP, @DkShivakumar is silent on the leadership struggle within his own party. @Siddaramaiah is pushing that he is the next CM through his followers but a weak president is unable to do anything,”

The BJP added that the statements that there will be only party worship and not personality worship shows that it does not have the courage and unable to take action against Khan who has been proposing Siddaramaiah’s name.

The growing friction within the Congress is rapidly denting its chances to capitalise on the discord within the BJP government and its legislators, many of whom have openly asked to replace 78-year-old Yediyurappa.

Despite warning from BJP national general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, Arun Singh, several BJP legislators continue to strategize against Yediyurappa, people aware of the developments said. The BJP has tried to quell the dissent but a cloud of uncertainty looms over Yediyurappa and his remaining two year tenure as the chief minister.

Yediyurappa has remained firm that he will continue in his post for the remainder of the two years, but the resistance to this possibility has been growing within the party legislators who have levelled serious charges of corruption and dynasty politics against the chief minister and his family.