A gathering of more than thirty Congress legislators at a hotel in Belagavi on Wednesday night has intensified speculation about an ongoing power struggle within the ruling party in Karnataka. The dinner, hosted by minister Satish Jarkiholi, brought together mostly supporters of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was absent due to illness.
A Routine Dinner or Political Huddle?
While the host, Satish Jarkiholi, described the event as a routine gathering, MLA KN Rajanna openly acknowledged that political matters were discussed. "Why would we meet otherwise? Would we meet just for food? When people meet, discussions are bound to happen. It serves multiple purposes," Rajanna stated. The attendees included Siddaramaiah's son and MLC, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, adding weight to the political nature of the meet.
This dinner follows a similar event hosted by Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar just last week. Notably, Shivakumar has also held two separate meetings with Jarkiholi recently, further highlighting the heightened political activity. Rajanna used the opportunity to push for community representation, suggesting that if a cabinet reshuffle occurs, two positions should be allocated to members from the Valmiki (Scheduled Tribe) community.
BJP Jabs and Congress Retorts
The internal dynamics have not gone unnoticed by the opposition. BJP's state president, BY Vijayendra, seized the moment to label Siddaramaiah an "outgoing Chief Minister" and claimed this would be his last assembly session in the top post. He criticized the government's inaction on development projects in the Belagavi region.
Congress leaders swiftly dismissed these claims. "Then let us call Vijayendra the outgoing BJP president. Siddaramaiah is not outgoing. He is very much in and will continue," retorted MLA Rajanna. Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresha questioned Vijayendra's predictive abilities, asking him to first resolve issues within his own party.
Seers Back Parameshwara for Top Post
Amid the visible tussle between CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy Shivakumar, a new dimension emerged from Tumakuru. Seers from various mutts, representing Lingayat, Vokkaliga, backward, and Dalit communities, convened to express their support for Home Minister G Parameshwara to be considered for the chief minister's post.
They argued that Parameshwara's elevation would benefit the backward community and accelerate district-level development. Hanumanthanatha Swami of Kunchitigara Maha Samsthana Matha said, "Seers, irrespective of caste, want Parameshwara as CM… it will help irrigation, Metro, drinking water and overall development."
Despite the swirling speculation, Rajanna referenced an AICC directive confirming that DK Shivakumar would continue as the state Congress president until the 2024 parliamentary elections, indicating some parameters are already set by the party high command. The series of meetings and public statements underscore the simmering leadership questions within the Karnataka Congress as it balances governance with internal political ambitions.
