BENGALURU:Ambition makes the frustrated impatient. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G Parameshwara has openly declared a coup on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. His contention is that a Dalit should be made the Chief Minister. Parameshwara who runs a chain of educational institutions is a Dalit and holds a PhD in Agriculture Science from an Australian University.
Early this week, a group of Dalit leaders from various organisations held a meeting and asked the Congress to make Parameshwara the CM. They even warned that they would organise public rallies across the state and campaign against the Congress if their demand is not met.
This was a reflection of a deep divide and lack of trust between the top leaders in the Karnataka Congress. Siddaramaiah’s close aide and PWD minister HC Mahadevappa, a Dalit himself chided Parameshwara saying: “After failing to win an election, some are now trying to destabilise the government by using the Dalit card. The tallest Dalit leader in Karnataka is Mallikarjun Kharge, and the party has now entrusted him work at the Centre. He will be the automatic choice for the CM’s post if the party decides to have a Dalit CM in 2018. For this term, Siddaramaiah will continue.’’
Another senior Dalit leader and Revenue Minister V Sreenivasa Prasad supported him saying none of the leaders who want Parameshwara as the Deputy CM are from the Congress. “The party will decide. The Congress is the only party which can make a Dalit as the head of the government,’’ he said.
CM Siddaramaiah who has been projecting himself as a champion of Dalits, backward classes and minorities attempted to defuse Parameshwara’s effort to project him and the party as anti-Dalit. he said, “I too am a Dalit, you cannot keep me out of Dalit ambit.’’ Siddaramaiah, a Kuruba (shepherd community) belongs to the backward class.
The CM and his group is planning to complain to Digvijay Singh, the AICC general secretary in charge of party affairs in Karnataka. He has been in Bengaluru for the last couple of days and will be interacting with the local leaders.
Facing a now or never situation, Parameshwara has formally distanced himself from the Dalit leaders’ meeting. He said, “Everyone has the right to speak within the democratic framework. How can anyone not speak about a Dalit becoming the CM? The demand is genuine.’’ However, he said that he has no ambitions to become the CM. “I was aspiring to be the CM. But that was before the Assembly election results,’’ he said.
On his name being proposed by dalit leaders, the KPCC president said “They must have thought I am qualified to head the government. That doesn’t mean I am behind all this. My focus is to strengthen the party.” Parameshwara led the Congress successfully to victory in the 2013 Assembly elections . He failed to ensure his own win. The Congress gain should have easily catapulted him into the Chief Minister’s post. His loss, however, cleared the hurdles for Siddaramaiah.
Parameshwara thought that the party brass will accommodate him as deputy CM, thus making him number two in the government. That didn’t happen either. Siddaramaiah doesn’t wish to create a second power-centre within the government and flatly denied entry to Parameshwara.
The KPCC president, however, hasn’t given up hope. He mobilised the Dalit support besides floating a conspiracy theory that he was defeated in the Assembly polls to make it easy for Siddaramaiah to become the Chief Minister.
Parameshwara’s latest move is said to be a pressure tactics to get into the Cabinet ahead of the budget session starting March 12. He hopes to become a deputy CM if not the CM, sources close to him said. The CM, however, has said that the expansion and reshuffle will be done in May.
Digvijay Singh said in Bengaluru that there are no plans to expand the ministry. However, sources say the growing demand for a Dalit chief minister and the fear of losing their traditional vote bank among Dalits might force the party to act.