Disaster may hit Congress in Karnataka if there is no clarity on power transfer: Tanveer Sait

If there was any agreement regarding a power transfer, the party high command must clear the air immediately, says KPCC working president

Mysuru: Sounding a stern warning to the Congress high command, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president and MLA Tanveer Sait on Friday said the ongoing confusion over the leadership transition and the growing list of ministerial aspirants are damaging the party’s image and could lead to a "political disaster".

Speaking to reporters in Mysuru, Sait expressed his frustration over the lack of transparency regarding a possible change of leadership in Karnataka.

“The list of those seeking ministerial berths and that of chief ministerial aspirants are growing by the day. If there was any agreement regarding a power transfer, the party high command must clear the air immediately. If this delay continues, both a ‘disaster’ and a ‘shock’ will happen in the Congress,” he warned.

Sait is a former Minister and a prominent minority community leader of Mysuru, the home district of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The issue of power sharing between Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar, also KPCC president, is a longstanding one and has led to diverse political debate.

Fire and smoke

Using a metaphor to describe the internal rift, Sait remarked, “Everything is not OK in the Congress. There is fire, and the smoke is now spreading everywhere. This has reached a dangerous stage. Indiscipline is becoming clearly visible, and the longer we delay a decision, the greater the loss for the party."

Sait added that he has already briefed AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala about the gravity of the situation. “I have explained the entire scenario. It is high time the high command took a firm decision and announced it clearly,” he said.

'Personal opinion'

Reacting to the recent statements by MLC and Chief Minister's son Yathindra Siddaramaiah regarding the leadership change issue, Sait said that personal opinions should not be mistaken for the high command’s stance.

Over the past few weeks, Yathindra has been saying that his father will continue for the full five-year term.

“Individual statements cannot shake the party. No one should speak as they please. Whether Siddaramaiah stays or someone else takes over —nothing is clear. The party high command should specify if there will be a change or not,” Sait said.

Sait also took a dig at certain party members (mainly hinting at Siddaramaiah who crossed over from the JD(S) in 2006), stating that while some stay with the Congress for its ideology, others have joined the party purely for the sake of power. “The party high command is currently calculating the impact of these power-hungry elements,” he added.

While Siddaramaiah favours B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan among the minority community leaders, Sait, a six-term MLA, who aspires to be Minister again, seems to identify himself with the D K Shivakumar faction.