BJP Targets D.K. Shivakumar After CM Siddaramaiah's Dinner Gathering with 35 Congress MLAs

Bengaluru, Jan 3 (NationPress) The Karnataka BJP has ridiculed Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar about several major decisions being made by the government while he is absent. The BJP referred to the dinner meeting that included seven cabinet ministers and 34 MLAs, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah present, questioning whether Dy CM Shivakumar is just a leader in title.

Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, remarked on Friday that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, seemingly waiting for Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to depart on an overseas trip, hosted a dinner meeting with 35 MLAs at Minister Satish Jarkiholi’s home to reinforce his authority.

Addressing Shivakumar, Ashoka stated, “In your absence, cabinet meetings are convening, and crucial decisions, such as a 15 percent increase in bus ticket prices, are being made. What does it indicate when such choices are made without the Deputy Chief Minister and the party's state president present?”

He further added, “Mr. D.K. Shivakumar, the moment has arrived to act on your bold claim in the Assembly that you would seize power.” Previously, Shivakumar humorously mentioned in the House that his astrologer had advised him to take control.

Ashoka continued, “Does this imply that within the Congress party, you (Shivakumar) are present only in name but lack genuine influence? Or is your assertiveness confined to media appearances?”

“If this situation persists, your aspirations will remain just that—a mere aspiration. That much is assured,” Ashoka commented, indirectly alluding to Shivakumar’s ambition to ascend to the Chief Minister role.

Reports indicate that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah conducted a dinner meeting on Thursday night at the residence of PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi to strategize about replacing Shivakumar as the party's state president and advocating for additional Deputy Chief Minister posts in the state. This maneuver is viewed as an attempt to undermine Shivakumar, who has been positioning himself as a significant leader in the party alongside Siddaramaiah.

Although those at the dinner party asserted it was merely a New Year celebration, sources suggest underlying conflicts within the Congress party.

The Chief Minister’s faction has long supported the creation of more Deputy Chief Minister posts. While Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar collaborated to secure a decisive victory for the Congress party in the 2023 Assembly elections, internal rivalries appear to be escalating.

Siddaramaiah was pivotal in attracting votes from Dalits, minorities, and backward communities, while Shivakumar played a crucial role in garnering influential Vokkaliga votes for the party in the southern regions of the state.

Rahul Gandhi previously declared that the Chief Minister would be selected based on the support of the majority of MLAs. Siddaramaiah attained the position for his second term, despite Shivakumar publicly voicing his desire to become the Chief Minister.

The BJP has also accused that the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam, in which CM Siddaramaiah is under investigation, was highlighted by Shivakumar as a strategy to counter the Chief Minister.