Congress brass forced to step in as Karnataka faction feud intensifies
Congress brass forced to step in as Karnataka faction feud intensifies
BENGALURU: A potential cabinet reshuffle and a gag order are among measures Congress has adopted to address a factional feud within its Karnataka unit, which has pitted supporters of chief minister (CM) Siddaramaiah against those of his deputy DK Shivakumar.
Congress high command has intervened, issuing a stern warning to maintain discipline as the feud is negatively impacting the state's administration and damaging the party's image, sources said on Sunday. This comes amid demands from several party functionaries to replace Siddaramaiah with Shivakumar as CM, and to appoint more deputy CMs.
Although Siddaramaiah denied it, sources said he has been asked to reshuffle his cabinet to include senior legislators who were initially denied ministerial positions. The CM faces pressure from several legislators, led by seniors Vinay Kulkarni and P M Narendra Swamy, to overhaul his council of ministers. Around 40 MLAs are waiting to replace non-performing ministers.
On Sunday, Shivakumar met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi, while Siddaramaiah met party MP Rahul Gandhi the day before.
"Kharge, Siddaramaiah, and I have arrived at a decision on how to work in interest of the party," Shivakumar said. "There is no need for any minister, MLA, or any individual to talk about it in public. If any functionary continues to talk to the media about the CM or deputy CM posts, then it would be inevitable for both AICC and KPCC to take disciplinary action."
Both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar issued strict instructions to their supporters to refrain from making public statements on the CM and deputy CM issues. The central brass has also decided to send veteran Madhusudan Mistry to review Congress' performance in Karnataka in Lok Sabha polls and gather legislators' opinions on the leadership dispute.
The state unit is planning to send a fact-finding team to all 28 parliamentary constituencies. "The objective is to hear from all quarters about prevailing issues and restore discipline to prepare the party to face a series of polls ahead," said KPCC working president GC Chandrashekhar.
Shivakumar's opponents have called for his replacement as Congress state president, citing the party's "one man, one position" principle. Shivakumar currently serves both as deputy CM and state party president.
However, Shivakumar's brother and former MP DK Suresh dismissed these demands, suggesting that those calling for his resignation should either "put up or shut up". Suresh referred to former chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde, who dissolved govt and called for early elections after a poor performance in LS polls, challenging those seeking positions to lead the party to victory before claiming privileges.
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