Dissidence out in the open as Roshan Baig erupts

A day after exit polls predicted the Congress faring poorly in Karnataka, senior party leader R Roshan Baig launched a scathing attack against senior Congress leaders, holding Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah’s“arrogance” and KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao’s “immaturity” responsible for the current state of affairs.

The former minister didn’t even spare K C Venugopal, as he termed the AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka a “buffoon”.

Accusing the party leaders of treating the community as bonded labourers, Baig said, “The party leaders have taken Muslims for granted. The community has got only one ticket to contest the LS polls, while there are three Kuruba candidates in the fray.”

Baig, who is considered as the Muslim face of the Congress, also said Muslims need to change with the situation, an indirect hint to the community to join hands with the BJP if the party returns to power at the Centre.

Baig has been sulking for the past few months as he had not been inducted in the State Cabinet.

His hopes of contesting the Lok Sabha polls from Bengaluru Central were also dashed as the party denied him the ticket.

He vented out his anger on Siddaramaiah for spoiling the party’s prospects in the LS elections. “Because of his arrogance and stubbornness, the party is losing the LS polls. It was because of him the party lost the 2018 Assembly polls in Karnataka,” he charged and added that Siddaramaiah should be removed from the post of CLP post.

And in more trouble for the Congress, close to a dozen disgruntled Congress legislators led by Gokak MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi are learnt to have held a closed-door meeting late on Monday evening in Bengaluru on quitting the party.

Though these legislators refused to reveal what transpired, it is learnt that they have decided to wait till May 23, when the results of LS polls and two Assembly bypolls will be announced.