Bengaluru: The Congress Legislature Party meeting is likely to be held in Belagavi tomorrow and former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah is expected to participate. The meeting is being held in Belagavi as the Winter Session of the Assembly is being held there.
Siddharamaiah’s presence in the Session was delayed by a day today due to his last-minute plan to attend the swearing-in ceremonies of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Chief Ministers.
Following a directive from the Congress high command, Siddharamaiah had to cut short his Malaysia visit.
Though he returned yesterday, he chose to visit the swearing-in ceremonies. The former CM is expected to reach Belagavi tonight and participate in the CLP meeting tomorrow.
Disgruntled Legislators
At the CLP meeting, he is likely to face the task of pacifying disgruntled Congress legislators as more trouble seems to be brewing within the party, especially among senior and North Karnataka Legislators. Some of them have openly expressed unhappiness with Siddharamaiah’s style of functioning.
Many MLAs are doubtful about the State Cabinet being expanded as promised on December 22. Eight of the 34 Cabinet positions are vacant, of which the Congress can fill up to six and the JD(S) two.
A group of senior MLAs, including Ramalinga Reddy, R. Roshan Baig and M.T.B. Nagaraj, and H.M. Revanna, MLC, recently met and decided to pour out their woes during the CLP meeting. They are hurt and upset with the party leaders, including Siddharamaiah for ignoring their seniority. They are miffed as their candidature for ministerial berths is not even being discussed before the Cabinet expansion.
PRESSURE TO PULL OUT
Meanwhile, buoyed by the victory of Congress in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, a section of party leaders is exerting pressure on the party top brass to withdraw the support extended to the JD(S) government and face Assembly polls along with Lok Sabha elections, Congress sources said.
Congress MLAs are also expressing unhappiness over the functioning style of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and too much interference by his brother-PWD Minister H.D. Revanna.
The leaders have also suggested the party leaders that if the Congress withdraws the support now, the probability of JD(S) going with BJP to form the government is unlikely. This will not only expose JD(S), but BJP as well, sources added.
With all these things, the current situation is advantageous for the Congress in Karnataka, the party must explore this option, several leaders suggested. Some MLAs have also suggested this to Siddharamaiah, who is learnt to have agreed to take up this matter with the party high command, sources said.
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This post was published on December 17, 2018 6:49 pm