<p>In fresh trouble for the H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government, senior leaders from both the Congress and the JD(S) came out in the open on Tuesday to launch a scathing attack on the leadership of the grand old party.</p>.<p>Former ministers Ramalinga Reddy and R Roshan Baig of the Congress, veteran JD(S) leaders H Vishwanath and Basavaraj Horatti — they are also ministerial aspirants — accused the Congress of not only bungling in the recent Lok Sabha elections but also preventing the coalition government from functioning smoothly.</p>.<p>The rebellion, which comes at a time when Kumaraswamy is making an effort to safeguard his government, could now cast a shadow on plans to rejig the Cabinet, an exercise meant to do just that — keep the government intact. </p>.<p>Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao, who bore the brunt of the attack, held brief talks and did not issue any statement. </p>.<p>"Today’s situation is the result of the party having laid out a red carpet for newbies and immigrants who know nothing, both in the party as well as in the government," Reddy said, referring to the Lok Sabha drubbing. "Neglecting seniors in the government and the lack of organisational foresight of some ministers resulted in the bad defeat," he said, blaming the party’s "front line" leaders for failing to resolve internal differences. </p>.<p>While Reddy did not take names, Baig minced no words in targetting Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah. "He has an ego problem. For him, it’s always 'me, mine and my way'," Baig said. "Has his arrogance come down? Has he stepped down from the pedestal? He, along with our immature, flop-show KPCC president (Dinesh Gundu Rao) should resign," he said, daring the party to issue notices to Congressmen responsible for the defeat of JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil and K H Muniyappa.</p>.<p>These comments received support from another senior party legislator V Muniyappa, further underlining the disgruntlement.</p>.<p>Vishwanath, who also resigned as JD(S) state president, said Deve Gowda lost from Tumkur because of the Congress’ ploy. He added that Kumaraswamy had been facing hurdles from day one. "Except for two or three departments, the administration has not been effective. Siddaramaiah has been controlling everything," he said.</p>.<p>Siddaramaiah, who also heads the coalition coordination committee, faced the ire of Horatti. The Congress, he said, was "throwing spokes into the smooth functioning of the government since its formation".</p>.<p>In all this, only two Congress MLAs known to be Siddaramaiah’s aides — K Sudhakar and M T B Nagaraju — came to his defence. While Sudhakar urged the senior leaders to put the party’s interests over their own, Nagaraju said there was no reason for anyone to target Siddaramaiah.</p>
<p>In fresh trouble for the H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government, senior leaders from both the Congress and the JD(S) came out in the open on Tuesday to launch a scathing attack on the leadership of the grand old party.</p>.<p>Former ministers Ramalinga Reddy and R Roshan Baig of the Congress, veteran JD(S) leaders H Vishwanath and Basavaraj Horatti — they are also ministerial aspirants — accused the Congress of not only bungling in the recent Lok Sabha elections but also preventing the coalition government from functioning smoothly.</p>.<p>The rebellion, which comes at a time when Kumaraswamy is making an effort to safeguard his government, could now cast a shadow on plans to rejig the Cabinet, an exercise meant to do just that — keep the government intact. </p>.<p>Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao, who bore the brunt of the attack, held brief talks and did not issue any statement. </p>.<p>"Today’s situation is the result of the party having laid out a red carpet for newbies and immigrants who know nothing, both in the party as well as in the government," Reddy said, referring to the Lok Sabha drubbing. "Neglecting seniors in the government and the lack of organisational foresight of some ministers resulted in the bad defeat," he said, blaming the party’s "front line" leaders for failing to resolve internal differences. </p>.<p>While Reddy did not take names, Baig minced no words in targetting Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah. "He has an ego problem. For him, it’s always 'me, mine and my way'," Baig said. "Has his arrogance come down? Has he stepped down from the pedestal? He, along with our immature, flop-show KPCC president (Dinesh Gundu Rao) should resign," he said, daring the party to issue notices to Congressmen responsible for the defeat of JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda, Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil and K H Muniyappa.</p>.<p>These comments received support from another senior party legislator V Muniyappa, further underlining the disgruntlement.</p>.<p>Vishwanath, who also resigned as JD(S) state president, said Deve Gowda lost from Tumkur because of the Congress’ ploy. He added that Kumaraswamy had been facing hurdles from day one. "Except for two or three departments, the administration has not been effective. Siddaramaiah has been controlling everything," he said.</p>.<p>Siddaramaiah, who also heads the coalition coordination committee, faced the ire of Horatti. The Congress, he said, was "throwing spokes into the smooth functioning of the government since its formation".</p>.<p>In all this, only two Congress MLAs known to be Siddaramaiah’s aides — K Sudhakar and M T B Nagaraju — came to his defence. While Sudhakar urged the senior leaders to put the party’s interests over their own, Nagaraju said there was no reason for anyone to target Siddaramaiah.</p>
