Priyank Kharge refutes claims of factions in Karnataka Congress, asks BJP to ‘set its house in order’

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Saturday rubbished claims of faction in state party unit and said that all roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.

Published on: Nov 5, 2023, 08:41:01 IST

ANIPosted by Yamini C S

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Karnataka Minister and Congress MLA Priyank Kharge on Saturday rubbished claims of factions in the state party unit and said that all roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.

Priyank Kharge also criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the delay in appointing a state president for the party and added that they should "figure out how to set their house in order".

"There is absolutely no faction. All roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. Siddaramaiah is the CM, and DK Shivakumar is the deputy CM. Whatever decision has to be taken will be taken by the high command at the right time," Minister Kharge told ANI.

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He added, "BJP, instead of pointing fingers at Congress, they should figure out how to set their house in order. It's been more than six months; they don't have a leader of opposition in the council or in the Assembly. The state president is clueless. Nobody knows what's happening. Who is running the state leadership over here? Right now, the Karnataka BJP unit is run by the Central unit. I think they are trying to just show the BJP central leadership that we are still alive."

Kharge also slammed BJP leader Ashwath Narayan saying he should stop "trying to set Congress' house in order".

"Ashwath Narayan should stop trying to set Congress's house in order. He should set himself up first. What was he before? He was a Minister, and before that, he was a deputy CM. Why was he taken off from that post (deputy CM)? Why was he demoted? He should think about that first. Because he makes statements like this, his words carry no weight in public or in the BJP. That's why he was removed," Minister Kharge added.

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Earlier on Friday, former Karnataka Minister and BJP leader KS Eshwarappa demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as his cabinet members, he alleged, have a difference of opinion on his tenure as Chief Minister.

"There is a lot of difference of opinion between Congress MLAs. There can't be two different decisions on one thing in the Cabinet. Karnataka doesn't want such a government. I demand the resignation of CM and DCM. Dissolve the Assembly and hold fresh elections," he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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