BENGALURU: All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge’s implicit statement that the Grand Old Party cannot be cowed down by the Opposition’s demands forChief Minister Siddaramaiah’s resignation, but will decide when the situation arises has triggered fresh and intense speculation over a change of guard in the state.
“Let the law take its own course... When the situation comes, we will examine at that time... Now there is nothing (against Siddaramaiah). Neither the chargesheet is filed against him nor he is convicted,” Kharge had said on Friday.
The Lokayukta police on Friday filed an FIR against Siddaramaiah in the MUDA case and have to complete the probe within three months as per the orders of the Special Court of the People’s Representatives.
After the Lokayukta police file the chargesheet before the court, Siddaramaiah has to face the trial, and he will also be under more pressure from the opposition and also from a few within the party to step down, political pundits said.
But for now, Kharge, as the party’s national chief, defended Siddaramaiah, besides sending out a message that a change of guard would be inevitable to protect the interests of the party, which has to move on regardless of who will be the CM in Karnataka.
Interestingly, Siddaramaiah, who enjoys the support of AICC General Secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal to the hilt, did not meet Kharge when he was in Bengaluru on Friday.
Even DyCM DK Shivakumar did not meet Kharge, as the decision was already taken at the high command level over the next course of action if a grim situation arises out of either the Lokayukta inquiry or if any central investigation agency steps in. One of the complainants, Snehamayi Krishna, has approached the High Court seeking a CBI probe into the MUDA row.
