MANDYA: The Congress government, which has been cruising along smoothly since its formation four months ago, seems to have run into rough weather if the developments within the party are taken into consideration. The latest is the banner of revolt raised by senior leader BK Hariprasad, a known Gandhi family loyalist, against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for not including him in his cabinet.
His veiled attack targeting Siddaramaiah on a daily basis has become a major embarrassment to the party in the state. Hariprasad is now on a state tour to unite and mobilise the Backward Classes, especially the Ediga community to which he belongs.
During his recent two conventions, without naming the CM, Hariprasad called him a power monger, defector and even ridiculed his socialist credentials, embarrassing not only Siddaramaiah but also his loyalists in the party. At the same time, similar voices of dissent from leaders, who couldn’t make it to the cabinet are heard. Senior MLA BR Patil was among the first to express his displeasure over the style of functioning of some ministers and their attitude towards party MLAs who often approach them for grants for development works.
Even party leader Basavaraya Reddy was vocal against some ministers’ indifference towards the MLAs. He even referred to the lapses in a few departments. The rumblings in the Congress within a few months of assuming power has provided enough ammunition to opposition BJP and JDS to spread a narrative that all is not well within the ruling party and the government will collapse anytime soon.
Upset by these developments, Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar convened meetings of MLAs and promised to release funds for development works in their respective constituencies. The CM and the DyCM knew that they could not go in for a minor cabinet reshuffle to accommodate 3-4 leaders as the government is just four months old. They, however, managed to persuade the MLAs not to air their opinion in public and focus on ensuring the party’s victory in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
These developments have become a cause for concern as Congress leaders were brimming with confidence of winning at least 20 seats in the coming Lok Sabha elections. The attack on the Congress may gain momentum in the coming days if the proposed BJP-JDS alliance takes shape.