BENGALURU: Coalition coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah’s plans to head to Malaysia ahead of the winter session of the state legislature and that too at a time when the dissidents are planning to use strong tactics to clinch ministerial berths has become a cause for worry for the state Congress leadership.
Siddaramaiah is leaving for Malaysia to attend the wedding of one of his family friends and will return to Bengaluru on Friday. His absence at the legislature session will be felt. “The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, which was scheduled to be held in Belagavi on December 10 just before the start of the session, has been deferred to December 18.
Siddaramaiah had invited Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy for the CLP meeting to redress the grievances of Congress MLAs to ensure a smooth show at the session and counter opposition BJP effectively. Now, we are heading to the session without getting our grievances redressed by the CM and we will miss Siddaramaiah in keeping our flock together,” a senior Congress leader, who is also a ministerial aspirant, said.
Congress has reason to worry as some of the dissident party MLAs are mulling to stay away from the legislature session during the debate on crucial issues to embarrass the ruling coalition. However, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao on Sunday dismissed such apprehensions. “We have able leaders to face opposition BJP in the Belagavi session,” Gundu Rao said.