Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar's proposed meeting with Kharge, Rahul Gandhi raises eyebrows
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar's proposed meeting with the party high command has raised eyebrows in the political circle.
The two leaders are likely to meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday evening, sources said.
Though Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have said that their Delhi visit pertained to their official work, their meeting with the top leaders assumes significance in the wake of ministers and MLAs indicating leadership change in the state and dissidence in the party.
The Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala is camping in Bengaluru and has been holding meetings with the ministers and MLAs to resolve their issues.
Surjewala on Tuesday declined to comment on the ongoing discussions regarding the leadership change in the state, suggesting that it is no longer pertinent and also indicated that such decisions rest with the party high command.
Though Surjewala ruled out gathering any opinion on leadership change, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said the Congress general secretary is setting the ground for the leadership change by November or December.
Despite strict directions to the party leaders not to discuss anything in public on the internal matters of the party and government, including the issue of leadership change, MLAs are vocal.
Some Congress MLAs are upset with the government. Kagwad MLA Raju Kage threatened to resign for lack of development in his constituency.
Aland MLAs B R Patil recently alleged corruption in housing scheme for poor families. Backing him, another Congress MLA Belur Gopal Krishna demanded that Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan should resign.
Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna predicted a major development in September.
In the midst of Surjewala holding meetings with MLAs, CM Siddaramaiah asserted that he would complete his five years' term.
In response, some Congress MLAs, including Ramanagara legislator H A Iqbal Hussain from Shivakumar camp, insisted that they want their leader to become CM.
Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, not only asserted that he would toe the party line but also served a show-cause notice to his supporter MLA Hussain for his statement.
The Deputy Chief Minister and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former MP, have stated that the Chief Minister's post is not vacant.
There was stiff competition between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for the Chief Minister’s post after the declaration of Assembly election results in May 2023, and the Congress had managed to convince the latter and made him the Deputy CM.
There were some reports at the time that a compromise had been reached based on a "rotational Chief Minister formula," according to which Shivakumar will become CM after two-and-a-half years in November 2025, but they have not been officially confirmed by the party.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
