Kharge rushes Venugopal, Surjewala to quell dissent ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka
BENGALURU: The Congress high command has taken a serious view of state party leaders raising the issue of power-sharing and change in chief minister’s post as it could have an adverse impact on the party’s prospects in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The party's top leadership has rushed AICC general secretaries Randeep Singh Surjewala and KC Venugopal to control the damage.
Their intervention seems necessary as many warnings issued by them and also KPCC president and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar have not had any effect on local leaders, who have continued to issue statements on the touchy subject. Surjewala and Venugopal held a meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah here on Wednesday.
Recent developments, including Siddaramaiah’s dinner meeting at Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara’s house along with ministers HC Mahadevappa and Satish Jarkiholi, have worried the high command. Also, Satish, who too is said to be in the CM race, was planning to take some 20 MLAs who support him on a tour. But it was thwarted by Venugopal.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, though hails from the state, has assigned the responsibility of containing the situation to Surjewala and Venugopal as he does not want to be seen favouring any faction, party sources told TNIE.
Some leaders loyal to Siddaramaiah, including ministers KN Rajanna, Mahadevappa and Zameer Ahmed Khan, have repeatedly spoken about the AHINDA leader completing the full five-year term as chief minister.
But supporters of Shivakumar, including MLAs Basavaraju V Shivaganga and Ravikumar Gowda (Ganiga), have said the deputy chief minister will become chief minister within five years of the Congress rule. “I was with Siddaramaiah and will continue to be with him. Our high command leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will decide if at all there will be a change in the chief minister’s post,” Zameer Ahmed Khan said only a few days ago.