BENGALURU: Opposition leader in the Assembly, Siddaramaiah, who took some time off along with his old friends at a resort in the Kabini backwaters in HD Kote taluk, returned to his residence in Bengaluru on Wednesday evening.
During his stay, Siddaramaiah was accompanied by Congress leaders Dr H C Mahadevappa, H P Manjunath and K Venkatesh. Several others too had called on him. In videos and photographs shared widely on social media, he was seen enjoying a boat ride and the sights of nature, and also taking long walks in the resort.
While political watchers wondered if Siddaramaiah was unwinding before the special session of the legislature later this month, others speculated that he was seeking to revitalise the third front along with another prominent leader, B S Yediyurappa.
After Bharatiya Janata Party leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal’s remark that Siddaramaiah was on his way out of the Congress, rumour mills have been speculating that Siddaramaiah may join hands with Yediyurappa and they will contest the next Assembly polls together.
Siddaramaiah’s supporters have, however, rubbished such a possibility and said it was a canard spread by the RSS and some of his detractors within the Congress. Some political observers also pointed out that leaders who started their own political outfits have suffered and were relegated to the sidelines.
They cited the examples of the KCP of former Chief Minister S Bangarappa, the KJP of former CM Yediyurappa, the Kannada Nadu Party of businessman Vijay Sankeshwar, Janata Party of Vijay Mallya, Lok Shakti party of former CM Ramakrishna Hegde, Kranti Ranga of former CM Devaraj Urs, and questioned, “Why will Siddaramaiah do something so risky, that too when he is 75 and Yediyurappa is 80?”
Differences in Cong won’t affect poll prospects: Satish
Chitradurga: KPCC working president Satish Jarkiholi on Wednesday said there could be differences between CLP leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC president DK Shiva-kumar. “But it will not affect the party’s prospects in future elections,” he added. Congress is a party that believes in internal democracy and such differences are common. Groupism is not limited to Congress, but is rampant in JDS and BJP too, he added. “Any problems arising out of factions will be settled by the party high command,” he said.