<p>All eyes are on Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday celebrations, the much-awaited political event at Davangere on Wednesday that could spin the Congress’ fortunes ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.</p>.<p>Organisers of the Siddaramaiah-75 Amrutha Mahotsava, dubbed Siddaramotsava, are aiming to bring 10 lakh people to the event, which is widely seen as the former chief minister’s show of strength.</p>.<p>Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to attend the event along with other top party functionaries.</p>.<p>The ruling BJP has mocked the Congress for Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday celebration, saying the event would cause a split in the party. Some Congress leaders, too, have their fingers crossed on how this event will pan out.</p>.<p>The event is politically significant for several reasons. For all the perceptible infighting within the party, it remains to be seen if Siddaramaiah’s birthday manages to send out a message of unity to the cadre and support base.</p>.<p>This is also seen as Siddaramaiah’s attempt to consolidate the Ahinda (minorities, backward classes and Dalits), the political grouping that was key to the Congress’ victory in 2013. In fact, the party celebrated Siddaramaiah’s 65th birthday on a grand scale in 2012.</p>.<p>It is no secret that Siddaramaiah is nursing hopes of a second term as CM. There are concerns that the birthday event is a conduit to project Siddaramaiah as the Congress’ chief ministerial face. This is much to the chagrin of Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar, who has his own ambition to occupy the top chair, leading to one-upmanship with Siddaramaiah. Shivakumar has, time and again, opposed the “cult of personality” in the party.</p>.<p>Ultimately, the party hopes that Siddaramaiah’s birthday bash would create a wave in the Congress’ favour with just nine months left for the Assembly polls.</p>
<p>All eyes are on Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday celebrations, the much-awaited political event at Davangere on Wednesday that could spin the Congress’ fortunes ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.</p>.<p>Organisers of the Siddaramaiah-75 Amrutha Mahotsava, dubbed Siddaramotsava, are aiming to bring 10 lakh people to the event, which is widely seen as the former chief minister’s show of strength.</p>.<p>Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to attend the event along with other top party functionaries.</p>.<p>The ruling BJP has mocked the Congress for Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday celebration, saying the event would cause a split in the party. Some Congress leaders, too, have their fingers crossed on how this event will pan out.</p>.<p>The event is politically significant for several reasons. For all the perceptible infighting within the party, it remains to be seen if Siddaramaiah’s birthday manages to send out a message of unity to the cadre and support base.</p>.<p>This is also seen as Siddaramaiah’s attempt to consolidate the Ahinda (minorities, backward classes and Dalits), the political grouping that was key to the Congress’ victory in 2013. In fact, the party celebrated Siddaramaiah’s 65th birthday on a grand scale in 2012.</p>.<p>It is no secret that Siddaramaiah is nursing hopes of a second term as CM. There are concerns that the birthday event is a conduit to project Siddaramaiah as the Congress’ chief ministerial face. This is much to the chagrin of Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar, who has his own ambition to occupy the top chair, leading to one-upmanship with Siddaramaiah. Shivakumar has, time and again, opposed the “cult of personality” in the party.</p>.<p>Ultimately, the party hopes that Siddaramaiah’s birthday bash would create a wave in the Congress’ favour with just nine months left for the Assembly polls.</p>
