JOIN USInfighting in the State Congress came in handy for the Opposition BJP to criticise the ruling party in the Assembly on Tuesday.
Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar said that the Congress leaders were trying to rein in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah by setting up a co-ordination committee.
“The relationship between the chief minister and KPCC chief G Parameshwara has soured. It is very sad for the chief minister that things are going wrong for him so early,” he said.
Shettar’s criticism of the ruling party provoked the Congress members, who said Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa should not allow one to speak about politics during a discussion on the State budget. But the BJP MLAs defended Shettar, saying Siddaramaiah too used to speak about politics in the House when he was the leader of the Opposition.
“Why do you get so agitated on mentioning about the coordination committee. Where is the need for the committee? It is formed only when there is a coalition government. Because there is trust deficit between the party and the chief minister, the committee is being formed. The party wants to control the government,” Shettar said.
Siddaramaiah is not confident of completing five years in office. The party is scared
of the increasing popularity of the chief minister. So it wants to control him, he said.
A recent letter by Parameshwara, asking the chief minister to include promises made in the party’s election manifesto in the budget, shows that all is not well in the ruling party and the government. The confusion and infighting are likely to have a bearing on the government, he said.