Rahul asks Karnataka leaders to fight unit against BJP, Siddaramaiah drops Ahinda rallies

'We discussed party issues and state political development,' Siddaramaiah told reporters after the meeting without elaborating much

Days after former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah showed inclination to hold Ahinda rallies across the state, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday asked state leaders to put united fight against BJP and not to hold any separate public meetings.

Siddaramaiah should be part of the Congress collective leadership and all leaders should unitedly prepare for 2023 Assembly polls, Rahul advised the state Congress leaders, sources said.

Siddaramaiah met Rahul Gandhi here along with other state leaders including Zamir Ahmed Khan, Ivan Desouza, Prakash Ratod and Ashok Pattan here. The State Leaders also met senior Congress leader A K Antony.

Sources said in the meeting, Rahul advised the state leaders to expose the BJP ruling misdeeds both at Centre and State, and hold mass rallies across the state. All leaders should participate in these rallies without giving scope for differences, Rahul learnt to have said.

However, Siddaramaiah refused disclose details of meeting with Rahul.

"We discussed party issues and state political development," he told reporters after the meeting without elaborating much

However, before meeting with Rahul, Leader of Opposition said he had no plan to hold separate public rallies under Ahinda banner. Instead he will attend public meetings organised by party, he said.

Earlier, Siddaramaiahh had a plan to revive the Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) movement, which catapulted him into a leader of the backward classes in 2005.

However, Congress leaders including Pradesh Congress president D K Shivakumar expressed unhappiness against any plan to revive. Many Congress leaders said holding any such rallies would harm Congress prospects. Many also in the view that Siddaramaiah is trying to hold supermacy in the party by organising Ahinda rallies.

To avoid division in the state unit, the party top brass asked Kuruba leader to put on hold separate meetings instead he should participate meeting organised by the party, sources said.