There is speculation about the change of leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Karnataka over the MUDA issue. However, nothing has been said officially by the Congress on this. Meanwhile, the meeting of the state’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and MP Rahul Gandhi in the US has intensified the discussions.
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the US capital Washington, giving rise to fresh speculations about the party’s future leadership. Shivakumar met Gandhi during his personal visit to the US. The meeting comes at a crucial time when the Congress is struggling to keep its Karnataka unit united amid its growing ambitions and allegations of corruption.
Shivakumar shared photos of his meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and wrote on ‘X’, ‘It was great to meet Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in Washington DC along with my wife Usha.’ The informal meeting with Gandhi in the US is being seen by some within the party as a deliberate move by Shivakumar.
Karnataka is witnessing a power struggle as major factions struggle for power amid growing uncertainty over the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The situation has been complicated by a controversy over the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam and the ongoing High Court hearing on Siddaramaiah’s petition challenging the governor’s sanction to prosecute him.
Rahul should warn those who want to become CM: Letter from Congress leaders
A group of Congress leaders has written a letter to the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi asking him to warn those party leaders and state ministers who are aspiring for the post of Chief Minister in case of a leadership change in Karnataka. The signatories to the letter include current and former MPs and some former ministers. They also urged Gandhi to issue instructions to them not to make any harmful statements in future keeping in mind the interests of the Congress and Karnataka.
A petition challenging the Governor’s sanction for prosecution against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the MUDA plot allotment case is being heard in the High Court. In such a situation, it appears that in case of a leadership change in the state, Congress leaders are preparing to join the race to become the Chief Minister and many of them have also openly expressed their desire.
The letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi said, “…more than six leaders including senior ministers are issuing statements claiming the post of Chief Minister instead of fighting against BJP and JD(S). Due to this, many of our leaders and workers are getting discouraged and losing hope from the government and the party.”
The letter said that due to the “internal fighting and reckless statements” of some leaders, the people of Karnataka are slowly losing faith in the party and the government, “Therefore, we humbly appeal to your esteemed office to take note of the statements issued by the said leaders and warn them against issuing such harmful statements in future in the interest of the Congress party and the state of Karnataka.”
