Former Karnataka Minister K.N. Rajanna on Tuesday, 30 June issued a pointed warning to his own party, asserting that sidelining former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would be a 'major blunder' and that the Indian National Congress can only return to power in the 2028 Karnataka Assembly elections by keeping the veteran leader firmly in the fold. The remarks came as internal dissent within the ruling Congress surfaced openly in Bengaluru.

Rajanna's Warning to the Party

Rajanna, widely regarded as a close associate of Siddaramaiah and a vocal critic of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, did not mince words. 'If anyone thinks the party can be strengthened by sidelining Siddaramaiah or keeping him away, it will be a major blunder. Only if we carry Siddaramaiah along and take him into confidence will we have every opportunity to return to power in 2028,' he said.

The former minister also stressed that established protocol governs government programmes and that any lapses should be addressed through appropriate action — an apparent reference to complaints that Siddaramaiah was being overlooked in official events. Rajanna added that he had 'no intention of working under anyone's shadow or joining another camp.'

Siddaramaiah's Standing in Congress

Rajanna underscored the electoral weight Siddaramaiah carries within Karnataka politics. 'Siddaramaiah is a mass leader. Under his leadership, the party came to power twice in the state. No one can snatch away Siddaramaiah's popularity,' he said. The former Chief Minister led Congress to victory in the 2013 and 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, making him one of the party's most electorally proven figures in the south.

Notably, Rajanna has previously advocated that a Dalit leader be appointed Chief Minister in the event of a leadership change — a position that places him at odds with Shivakumar's own ambitions. He had also earlier held a press conference in New Delhi expressing readiness to take charge as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, a post then held by Shivakumar.

Kempegowda Jayanti Slipper Attack on Congress MLA

Separately, Chikkaballapur Congress MLA Pradeep Eshwar met Siddaramaiah on Tuesday and briefed him on an incident during the Kempegowda Jayanti celebrations. According to reports, Janata Dal (Secular) workers allegedly hurled a slipper at Eshwar over remarks he had made against Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy. Eshwar had reportedly challenged Kumaraswamy, saying the minister 'could not even touch a single strand of his hair.' He became emotional while recounting the incident, alleging that JD(S) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers had also abused him and his family.

Siddaramaiah consoled the MLA, saying: 'Such incidents are common in politics. You have to face them. Do not lose heart. We are with you.' He subsequently spoke to Home Minister Priyank Kharge by phone, directing him to ensure a proper investigation. Siddaramaiah also expressed concern that the incident had occurred in the presence of police, given that the target was a ruling-party legislator, and called for action against the officer concerned.

Urban Development Minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah and former Minister Madhu Bangarappa were present at the meeting.

What This Signals for Karnataka Congress

The public airing of grievances by a senior Siddaramaiah loyalist points to deepening fault lines within the Karnataka Congress ahead of the 2028 polls — still three years away but already shaping factional calculations. This is not the first time the Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar rivalry has broken into the open; the two leaders have navigated a power-sharing arrangement since the party's 2023 victory, with tensions periodically surfacing over cabinet decisions, event protocols, and party appointments. How the Congress high command manages this friction will be closely watched as the government crosses its mid-term mark.