BENGALURU: With Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar being summoned to New Delhi on Tuesday to meet the Congress high command, there are murmurs that “there could be a discussion on the possible change in guard in Karnataka,” said well-placed sources privy to behind-the-scene developments in the ruling party of the state.
“The name of a senior, popular Congress leader has reportedly been sounded out as the next CM in the inner circles of the party, though no formal discussions have taken place even outside the inner ring,” they said.
Sources, who didn’t wish to be named, said the Congress high command has taken “serious cognizance” of the ongoing controversies regarding the alleged Valmiki Development Corporation scam – diverting funds meant for SC/ST to finance the guarantee schemes – and Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) irregularities – allotment for sites in the name of Siddaramaiah’s wife – which reportedly implicate Siddaramaiah, although so far there is nothing to prove his involvement. He has on various platforms denied his involvement, and has even constituted a single-member inquiry commission to investigate the allegations of irregularities in the land allocated by MUDA.
The alleged scams rocked both Houses of the Legislature for the entire monsoon session, and now the Opposition – the BJP-JDS combine -- has decided to hold a week-long padayatra (foot march) from Bengaluru to Mysuru from August 3 to 10 over the alleged MUDA scam for which the Congress government has denied permission.
‘Rumours of change in CM being floated by vested interests’
MUDA hit the headlines after opposition parties raised a storm over the allotment of 14 sites to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi in an upmarket area in Mysuru, for giving up 3.16 acres for the development of Devanoor Layout by MUDA.
Meanwhile, TNIE spoke to some Congress leaders, who outrightly ruled out any change of guard and reposed faith in Siddaramaiah’s leadership. “These rumours are being floated by some vested interests at a time when the five guarantees are picking up in Karnataka,” said a senior party leader.
Sources in the party said the party central leaders may have summoned Karnataka’s CM and DyCM to New Delhi to get direct information about the political developments in the state and there are no talks about change in leadership. The ST Development Corporation and MUDA issues are likely to come up for discussions during their meeting with the central leaders.