AHINDA groups urge Rahul Gandhi to declare Siddaramaiah as CM for 5 years
Mysuru (PTI): AHINDA organisations here have appealed to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to declare that Siddaramaiah will serve as the chief minister for a full five-year term.
Representatives of various AHINDA organisations have launched a campaign here on Wednesday, posting letters to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, urging him and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge to intervene immediately to end the speculation over the leadership change.
AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits) is a grouping that remains a support base for Siddaramaiah.
The move comes against the backdrop of speculations about chief minister change in the state, when the Congress government reaches the halfway mark of its five-year term in November.
"The Congress party won 135 seats in the 2023 assembly elections under the leadership of Siddaramaiah, the unrivaled leader and the strong voice of the oppressed communities, and the identity of the AHINDA communities, which led to the formation of the Congress party government in Karnataka again," AHINDA organisations said in a letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi.
The "huge victory" was due to the leadership of the Siddaramaiah and the AHINDA communities voting for the Congress party under his leadership, it said.
"The Congress party's base in Karnataka is very strong, and the main reason for this is the administration of Siddaramaiah, his pro-people guarantee scheme, his love and concern for the AHINDA communities, his ideology of social justice, his contributions to the welfare of exploited communities, and his belief in the principle of equality for all," it added.
The AHINDA groups pointed out that Siddaramaiah was elected as the leader of the legislature party in 2023 for five years by the Congress MLAs. But, the opposition parties such as the BJP, are creating confusion among the public through misleading statements that the chief ministers will be changed. Some Congress party leaders have also echoed this.
"This opposition may hinder the progress of the Congress party. The propaganda that Siddaramaiah will be removed from the post of chief minister is impossible for the AHINDA communities to tolerate. Therefore, we hereby request you and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge to immediately intervene and declare that Siddaramaiah will continue as the Chief Minister of Karnataka for a period of five years, and clear all the confusion," they said, seeking time for a delegation of AHINDA leaders to meet Gandhi.
There has been speculation within state's political circles, especially within the ruling Congress, for some time now about the chief minister change later this year, citing alleged power-sharing agreement involving incumbent Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar.
Amid speculations, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said he would continue in office for the full five year term, subject to the Congress high command's decision.
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Siddaramaiah in 'helpless situation', under some 'compulsion', claims Cong MLA Rajanna
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Bengaluru (PTI): Amid claims that Siddaramaiah's confidants are being targeted within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, following recent actions against some party leaders, senior MLA K N Rajanna on Friday alleged that the chief minister is "helpless" and under some "compulsion" as he is not standing up to defend his people.
The comments from the former minister, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, came after Congress took action against some of its minority community leaders--considered close to the CM--following allegations of an internal conspiracy against the party candidate in the Davanagere South bypoll held on April 9.
Rajanna himself was sacked from the Ministry last August on the instructions of the party high command, following his alleged comments criticising top party leader Rahul Gandhi's "vote theft" charge.
"There will be vested interests in the party who will try to conspire against those who have been loyal to the party and want the party to grow for the welfare of the people. Nothing can be done about it. What we expect from our chief minister is that when such a situation arises, he should stand strong, but he is not standing and that is a sad thing," Rajanna said in response to a question whether Siddaramaiah's followers were being targeted in Congress.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, "... I don't know what his thinking is. But we did not expect such a helpless situation from Siddaramaiah."
When asked who had made Siddaramaiah helpless, the former minister said, "I won't say who, you understand it yourself."
"People are saying that those close to Siddaramaiah are being targeted...I don't know what compulsions Siddaramaiah has. If he tells, we can know, but he won't say. I don't know under what compulsion he is following this neutrality," he said, adding that the CM is helpless and a person becomes "helpless" when his/her voice shrinks.
The Congress recently suspended MLC K Abdul Jabbar from the party's primary membership and relieved another MLC Naseer Ahmed from the post of chief minister's political secretary. This action came after a group of Muslim leaders accused members of their own party of "conspiracy" to defeat the official candidate in Davanagere South.
Following the action against Jabbar and Naseer Ahmed, speculation is that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan may also face action during the next cabinet rejig, as these three wanted a Muslim to get the bypoll ticket in Davanagere South, which the party gave to the late MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa's grandson Samarth Mallikarjun. They also did not actively participate in campaigning.
Citing a Kannada saying that there is no punishment for the mistakes committed by the King, Rajanna, in what seemed to be a veiled dig at Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, asked, "Does sharing a stage with a person (referring to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev) who said, 'Who is Rahul Gandhi? I don't know,' not amount to indiscipline?"
Referring to AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge's statement on whether poverty could be ended by taking a dip in the Ganga at Prayagraj, he said, "...but this person (again referring to Shivakumar) goes there and compliments UP CM Yogi Adityanath for arrangements made for the Kumbh Mela. He also goes to Ambani family marriage, while Rahul Gandhi did not even accept the invitation."
"I'm not saying that action should be taken against this person too, but the party will have to observe these things also," he added.
Rajanna further pointed out that no action was taken when veteran Congress leader and late MLA from Davanagere South Shamanur Shivashankarappa made a speech seeking votes for BJP candidate B Y Raghavandra during Shivamogga Lok Sabha polls, and asked if this did not amount to indiscipline.
"The same people were at the helm then (referring to Shivakumar as KPCC chief), even a verbal warning was not given to him (Shivashankarappa)," he said, adding that, similarly no action was taken when Samarth Shamanur filed his nomination in Davanagere South before the party announced its candidate for Davanagere South-- that was also an act of indiscipline.
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