Bygones aren’t going to be bygones in Karnataka

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah and his successor H.D. Kumaraswamy are treading through the murky waters of political rivalry and creating ripples of unrest in the new-found political bonhomie between the Congress and Janata Dal(Secular) or JD(S).

Siddaramaiah seems to have escalated undue problems hardly a month into the swearing in of Kumaraswamy. The most prominent issue being reproached is the forthcoming state budget which is expected to announce a farm loan waiver.

“The Congress party is worried about consistent public statements being made by Siddaramaiah against the alliance government and mostly directed towards the chief minister. This concerns us but for now we are adopting a wait and watch policy,” a senior Congress leader said requesting anonymity.

Siddaramaiah has, on multiple occasions, said that since the Congress has already presented a full-fledged budget in February, his successor can present a supplementary with new schemes, if any, including the farm loan waiver. He also expressed doubts over how long the alliance would last.

Alliance leaders rejected Siddaramaiah’s claims. While JD(S) chief H.D. Deve Gowda cited parliamentary precedence to counter Siddaramaiah’s suggestion of a supplementary budget, deputy chief minister G. Parameshwara said the alliance government would complete a five-year term, adding that all other talk was “irrelevant”, according to PTI.

Senior party leaders, however, feel that they should not intervene immediately as it could give political ammunition to their political rivals and there also exists the possibility that there could be another context.

Mallikarjun M Kharge, Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, who earlier this week took charge as AICC general secretary in charge of Maharashtra, admitted that he had seen the videos, but refused to divulge if the party would take disciplinary action. He revealed he would meet the former chief minister “soon” to find out in what context the comments were made.
KPCC chief and deputy chief minister, G Parameshwara, sought to downplay reports of growing resentment within the Congress. “I am confident that our coalition government will complete a full term of five years,” he said. “What others are talking outside is irrelevant.”

Also Read:Will HD Kumaraswamy pass in ‘Farm Loan Waivers’ test?

“Siddaramaiah is a senior leader and the party holds him in high regard. However, having once been a part of JD(S), he has age-old rivalries with them. He was the chief minister and now the chief of the coordination committee—there is no bigger post that the party can give him in the state. We are assessing the situation for now,” another Congress leader said requesting anonymity.

Meanwhile, at least six more Congress legislators from Karnataka rushed to Mangaluru on 27 June to meet Siddaramaiah, who is currently at a naturopathy centre, taking the number of party visitors to over 30 and prompting speculation of a growing alternative power centre within the coalition government.

Though most of the legislators maintain that their visits are purely to inquire about the former chief minister’s health, some sections within the party say that these visits are a show of strength by Siddaramaiah.

Many senior party members believe there is not much to these meetings but add that any move that is seen as opposing the high command’s view would be dealt with an “iron hand”.