Congress is fighting for CM post!

B. ARAVINDA SHETTY 

New Delhi/ Koppal/Tumakuru: Amidst the change of leadership in State BJP, discontent among KPCC leaders on Chief Minister candidate for 2023 elections has quite deepened now. 

KPCC President D.K.Shivakumar, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and former KPCC President Dr. G.Parameshwar reacted on the CM candidate issue. 

Statement of the Chamarajpete Congress MLA and diehard supporter of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, Zameer Ahmed Khan has kicked up the controversy on Chief Ministerial candidate in the party. Mr. Zameer Ahmed Khan, in a public meeting at Mysuru recently, announced that Siddaramaih is the future Chief Minister of Karnataka, though KPCC has downplayed his statement, his statements have not gone well in the party.

Even Koppal MLA, Raghavendra Hitnal has said in Koppal on Monday that he has 100 percent confident of Siddaramaiah will become the Chief Minister if elections are held in the state. 

KPCC President D.K. Shivakumar has rushed to Delhi, requested the party high command to send a warning to supporters of Siddaramaiah not to give any statement on the CM candidate. He met KPCC in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, discussed the matter.  

Mr. Shivakumar, one of the frontrunners for the CM post, held a press conference after meeting with Mr. Surjewala, said that party high command will decide on cm candidate and further stated there is no space for individual worship in the party, the only party is the priority in Congress, he said. 

He indirectly taking a dig at Mr. Zameer, “ there is no vacancy of CM post in the Congress, BJP should talk about CM post now and not out party leaders”, he said. 

“There is no groupism in the Congress, I am heading KPCC, not for any group in the Congress, so we have only one group, that is Congress. I am not leading any group in the Congress”, Mr. Shivakumar said. 

“I came to Delhi to meet Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Soniajee is unwell, I will speak to her over the phone and sought an appointment with Rahuljee. Our main aim is to fight against coronavirus, I told my party workers not to tell my name for CM post”, Mr. Shivakumar clarified. 

However, sources in the party said that Mr. Shivakumar has met KPCC in charge of Randeep Singh Surjewala, briefed him about ongoing developments in the party and statements of the supporters of Siddaramaiah about the CM candidate. 

“ I have been getting full support from senior leaders and opposition leader Siddaramaiah. Senior leaders, Mallikarjuna Kharge, Siddaramaiah, Hariprasad, Deshpande, H.K. Patil, K.H. Muniyappa, and others have given support to me to fight against the BJP government. We have organized a protest rally against BJP government in the state”, Mr. Shivakumar said. 

High command issued diktat 

Meanwhile, party high command has warned kpcc leaders not to issue any statement in public about the CM candidate. Randeep Singh Surgewala instructed Congress legislators not to give any statements on CM candidate. CLP will decide on CM candidate after the Assembly elections, thus party legislators desist from stating CM candidate, Surgewala instructed. 

Party high command will decide on CM- Siddu 

Meanwhile, opposition leader Siddaramaiah said in Koppal, “Congress high command will decide on Chief Minister candidate once party win in the elections. I will not react to the statement of minister B.C. Patil, in Congress there is no group, we have only one group, that is Congress. Shivakumar went to Delhi for other reasons, if rebel BJP interested to join Congress, the party will not welcome them”, Mr. Siddaramaiah said,

Zameer's statement on the CM candidate was his personal view, Siddaramaiah said. However another Congress MLA, Raghavendra Hitnal said that he has hundred percent confidence of Siddaramaiah will become the next Chief Minister of the state. 

KPCC president is supreme- Parmeshwar 

Taking a dig at the statement of Zameer Ahmed Khan, Mr. Parameshwar said that “in the Congress KPCC President is supreme. We have to abide by his statement and should follow his instructions”, he said. 

Speaking to reporters at Tumakuru, Mr. Parameshwar said, statement of Zameer on CM candidate was his personal opinion and Siddaramaiah also echoed the same. There is nothing wrong with his statement, Zameer statement was a quite common wish of a follower of the leader. But party high command will decide on CM candidate, Parameshwar said. 

“Now, party high command has given the power to the KPCC President. For the political affairs of the Congress, KPCC President is supreme, now Mr. Shivakumar is our president, we have to obey his instructions, that is the rule in the party”, Mr. Parameshwar asserted. 

BJP pokes Congress affairs 

Meanwhile, State BJP has chided the Congress, in a series of tweets, the ruling BJP said that Shivakumar has no guts to take action against errant MLA, Jameer Ahmed Khan, do you afraid about Siddaramaiah? BJP questioned Shivakumar. 

Shivakumar is talking about the internal affairs of the BJP, but he is silent on taking action against Zameer. Mr. Shivakumar has silent on the leadership issue, Siddaramaiah is instigating his loyalist to talk about the CM candidate of the party, BJP stated in another tweet. 

Why Shivakumar is not taking action against Zameer, though Parameshwar stated that the KPCC president is supreme in the party, whether he has afraid to take action against migrant leader Siddaramaiah? BJP questioned KPCC President.