Congress ministers reportedly plotting to address grievances with Surjewala ahead of Belagavi rally

The high command knows how to clip their wings and will drop them, instructing Siddaramaiah to reshuffle or expand his cabinet.
Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala
Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala (File Photo | Shekhar Yadav, EPS)
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BENGALURU: Annoyed by AICC Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala’s style of functioning, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s coterie of ministers is reportedly trying to send a message that they will not bow down before him or the party high command, according to sources. With just a few hours left for the ‘Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan’ rally in Belagavi on Tuesday, there are widespread rumours that the ministers may meet Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi to express their distress. They have already spoken to Siddaramaiah and want his backing, sources said.

When asked about some ministers allegedly complaining to Rahul Gandhi about replacing Randeep Surjewala as Karnataka in-charge, Deputy CM and KPCC president DK Shivakumar categorically denied it. “Someone is tarnishing the reputation of the media by giving false information. The media should not tarnish its own reputation by believing a planted story,” he suggested.

Similarly, Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said he knew nothing about it. He left for Belagavi with Siddaramaiah on a special flight on Monday evening.

Surjewala’s style of functioning has not been well received by PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi’s supporters, who had created a ruckus at a recent meeting. However, Satish said they are on good terms with Surjewala and have not complained about him to the party high command.

Incidentally, Surjewala held a separate meeting with Shivakumar and his brother DK Suresh. The friction began with Siddaramaiah’s supporters planning to hold a rally, ‘Swabhimani Samavesha’, which was later converted into a Congress rally, ‘Jana Kalyana Samavesha’, in Hassan a month ago. Shivakumar and Surjewala managed to transform it into the party’s rally. The new grievance against Surjewala is that he instructed Parameshwara not to hold a separate SC/ST MLAs’ meeting. “Without AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge’s notice or instructions, Surjewala would not have issued instructions to the ministers. Their plan to take the complaint against Surjewala to Rahul Gandhi, if true, will not help, as Kharge is at the helm,” remarked a senior Congress leader.

The high command knows how to clip their wings and will drop them, instructing Siddaramaiah to reshuffle or expand his cabinet. Among SC community leaders, Malavalli MLA Narendraswamy and Bangarpet MLA SN Narayanaswamy are the frontrunners, he added.

Opposition leader R Ashoka taunted the Congress, saying, “Whether it is Surjewala or Kharge, ministers do not care for them as they know the party will never come to power again and want to grab power in the present dispensation. This is why they were fighting for the creation of three DCMs, a change in CM, and KPCC president posts,” he ridiculed.

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