K'taka CM latest row leaves Cong red-faced

An embarrassed Congress high command has summoned its party chief in Karnataka G Parameshwara to seek details about the latest controversy surrounding Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son, whose firm was given a contract to run a lab in a government hospital.

Parameshwara, who will arrive in Delhi on Friday, is expected to meet party top brass and explain the situation. It is also learnt that the party has sought details from Karnataka in-charge General Secretary Digvijay Singh about the row. Incidentally, Singh was in Bengaluru on Wednesday when the controversy broke out.

The latest controversy over alleged nepotism came at a time when a large number of MLAs have been demanding a reshuffle of the Cabinet while another section of leaders was pitching for leadership change.

The MLAs had earlier complained to the high command that the state government was busy addressing its own controversy instead of tackling the unprecedented drought, which the state is facing now.

The party top brass is worried about the frequent controversies surrounding the chief minister and about the state leadership being forced onto the back foot to defend him. Earlier, the party had expressed serious concern over the row involving an expensive watch worn by Siddaramaiah and the setting up of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Party senior leader and former chief minister S M Krishna recently met party national president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi and complained against Siddaramaiah. Even senior leader Mallikarjuna Kharge had urged CM to drop the proposal of setting up the ACB.