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Siddaramaiah says he backs compromise to end Karnataka feud, conflict remains
People aware of the developments said that both Ramaiah and Nalapad have now agreed to a compromise, allowing the former to retain the position till the end of the year and pass it on to the latter thereafter.
Karnataka Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday that he was in favour of brokering a compromise between two candidates backed by rival factions of the party which will allow them to share the position of state youth Congress president. But political observers said it was unlikely to end the ongoing power tussle between him and state party president DK Shivakumar.
It all started with the polls to elect the president of state youth Congress in February when Shivakumar-backed candidate Mohammed Harris Nalapad, the son of Congress legislator N A Harris, was disqualified after winning 64,203 votes out of the over 150,000 valid votes polled. In his place, Raksha Ramaiah, who polled 57,271 votes with Siddaramaiah’s backing, was declared the winner.
The result led to an impasse and worsening of relationship between the two factions led by the two tallest Congress leaders in the state, in turn making it harder for the party to put up a united fight against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been beset with its own problems.
People aware of the developments said that both Ramaiah and Nalapad have now agreed to a compromise, allowing the former to retain the position till the end of the year and pass it on to the latter thereafter.
“Both of them have mutually come to an understanding that Raksha will remain [the youth congress president] till 31 December and then [the post] will be given to Nalapad,” Srinivas BV, the national president of the Indian Youth Congress told Hindustan Times on Wednesday.
Siddaramaiah too acknowledged that he favoured a compromise. “Now, the election officer has said that he will broker a compromise [between Raksha and Mohammed]. Make both of them sit together and get whatever compromise is all I have said,” Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday.
However, Shivakumar refused to comment on the issue on Wednesday.
People aware of the developments said that Raksha’s supporters were also not happy with the decision.
This is not the first tussle between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. Both had also locked horns over the issue of party’s chief ministerial candidate in the run up to the state polls
