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Surjewala warns Congress leaders of ‘action’ amid ‘Shivakumar vs Siddaramaiah’ reports

The deadlock over the next Karnataka CM pick continues amid hectic parleys with senior Congress leadership.

Published on: May 17, 2023, 20:22:39 IST
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AICC in charge for Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala on Wednesday issued a stern warning to Congress leaders against issuing statements on the leadership issue in the southern state. Surjewala said that any out-of-turn remarks on the leadership issue “will be treated as indiscipline and action taken accordingly.” Amid several reports claiming Siddaramaiah was ahead of DK Shivakumar in the race for the Karnataka CM post, the Rajya Sabha member claimed a “section of media” has fallen victim to the ‘fake news factory’ of BJP on the government formation in Karnataka.

Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala addresses the media gathered outside the residence of party President Mallikarjun Kharge, in New Delhi, Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (PTI)
Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala addresses the media gathered outside the residence of party President Mallikarjun Kharge, in New Delhi, Wednesday, May 17, 2023. (PTI)

“We understand the frustration of BJP in being decisively rejected by the brother and sisters of Karnataka bringing an end to the #40PercentBJPSarkara,” Surjewala said in a tweet.

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Rejecting the criticism of high-command culture in the grand old party, Surjewala said “no one whispered a word” when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took seven to 10 days in deciding the chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Goa and several other states where BJP emerged victorious.

“But the same forces and a select news outlets have objections to the process of dialogue, discussion, consensus adopted by Sh. @kharge ji, which is in true democratic traditions,” the Congress leader said.

“I have also advised all Congress leaders to not issue statements on the issue of leadership. Any out of turn remarks made from here onwards will be treated as indiscipline and action taken accordingly,” he added.

Surjewala's warning came soon after DK Shivakumar arrived at his Delhi residence on Wednesday evening.

He repeated his earlier assertion that Congress will form the government in Karnataka in the next 48-72 hours.

Hectic parleys were held on Wednesday to break the deadlock in deciding on the Congress' chief ministerial pick in Karnataka with both the hopefuls Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar presenting their cases before the top brass.

  • Kunal Gaurav
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Kunal Gaurav

    Kunal Gaurav is a multimedia journalist with Hindustan Times, New Delhi. He handles daily editorial operations for the digital news desk, including news tracking, news prioritisation, writing and editing.Read More

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