BENGALURU: The outcome of the 2024 LS polls is likely to have a bearing on the Congress government in Karnataka as the party's high command has given a task to not only Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar but also the ministers to ensure the victory of the party’s candidates in their respective Lok Sabha Constituencies, sources said.
Those who miserably fail in their efforts are likely to be shown the door from the Cabinet and new faces would be given a chance. The chances of making some ministers scapegoats if the party fails to make a significant improvement cannot be ruled out, a Congress leader observed. The party won a single seat in the 2019 General Election (Bengaluru Rural through DK Suresh). Another leader observed that the ‘blacksheep’ within the party may also play a role in the defeat of certain candidates to snub some leaders.
Meanwhile, the alliance between the BJP and JDS in Old Mysuru may make it tough for the Congress in certain seats, including Bengaluru Rural. So, some heads may have to roll politically, paving the way for new faces after the LS polls, according to political pundits. It is in the wake of the high command’s indication to go with a reshuffle that some leaders within the ruling Congress have predicted that there will be a rejig of the Siddaramaiah cabinet too.
“There will certainly be a change after the LS polls and why should one continue as a minister if he was unable to win a Lok Sabha seat for the party,” questioned Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna, a loyalist of Siddaramaiah.
But he said a clear “No” to the change in the CM’s post. Siddaramaiah has been claiming that the party is focused on winning at least 20 seats, while Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil claimed that their party will win 25 seats.