Karnataka: Congress leadership tussle flares up again

Bengaluru: With the Congress government reaching halfway in its tenure next month, the on-off leadership tussle resurfaced again after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that he would remain in power while his deputy D K Shivakumar’s loyalists claimed that a change of guard was in the offing. 

The fresh eruption of political jousting prompted the Karnataka Congress to issue notices on Thursday to lawmaker H D Ranganath and former MP L R Shivarame Gowda for publicly supporting Shivakumar’s chief ministerial ambition. 

Gowda specifically said the party would decide on making Shivakumar the CM next month, when the Congress completes 30 months in office. Gowda’s claim is in line with a rumoured power-sharing pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, a tenure of two and a half years for both. 

On Wednesday, reacting to Ranganath and Gowda, Siddaramaiah said he would complete his full five-year term. This retort was seen as Siddaramaiah riding roughshod over Shivakumar’s chief ministerial aspiration. But Siddaramaiah also added that he would abide by whatever the party high command decided. 

Shivakumar, who is Karnataka Congress president, stuck to his stance on party discipline, lest he is seen as fomenting division. 

“Those speaking in favour of the CM or me are damaging the party. They're doing anti-party activities,” Shivakumar declared. “Nobody has the right to speak on power-sharing. Where’s the discussion on power-sharing?” he said. “Whatever the CM has said is final. The CM has said that whatever the high command decides will be final.” 

It is being said that Shivakumar does not want to come across as desperate to become the CM. 

The Karnataka Congress' disciplinary committee headed by former Rajya Sabha deputy chairperson K Rahman Khan gave a week's time for Ranganath (Kunigal MLA) and Gowda (former Mandya MP) to explain the pro-Shivakumar statements they made on Wednesday. 

"You made this statement despite the AICC's instructions...your media statements on this issue not only cause embarrassment to the party, but also lead to violation of party discipline," the notice stated. 

Meanwhile, speaking in Tumakuru, Home Minister G Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah will remain as CM. 

“Who said there will be a change? Siddaramaiah is currently the CM and will remain CM. We all feel that he will be the CM for five years. He (Siddaramaiah) himself has said it," Parameshwara said, pointing out Siddaramaiah’s statement that he would go by the party’s decision. 

“There won't be any kranti (revolution). Everything will be shanti (peaceful)," Parameshwara, another chief ministerial aspirant, added.