‘Power tussle’ in Karnataka Cong will intensify: BJP

Bengaluru: Opposition BJP in Karnataka on Friday predicted that the “power tussle” within the ruling Congress party is likely to intensify in the coming days. According to BJP, with the Congress central leadership “weakened” by the Bihar poll debacle, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would emerge stronger. This would make the issue of a potential CM change in the state more contentious.

Speculations about a possible change in leadership in the state have been circulating within political circles, particularly as the Congress government approaches the halfway mark of its five-year term in November, a period some are calling the “November revolution.” “If anyone in Congress is happy today and in a mood to celebrate, it is Siddaramaiah. He will be happy... With the Congress central leadership becoming weak following the Bihar results, Siddaramaiah will grow stronger,” R Ashoka, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, said. “He has been with other parties in the past, so he knows how to handle things. He will now play the game with Rahul Gandhi and the Congress leadership, he added.

Speaking to reporters at the BJP office, Ashoka said that internal rifts within Congress would deepen, and issues related to power transfer would gain momentum. “Siddaramaiah is happy. He has strengthened his position as CM and firmly fixed himself to his chair, ready to face those challenging him,” he said.

Other BJP leaders, including senior MLA C N Ashwath Narayan and Bangalore Central MP P C Mohan, who were present at the press conference, shared similar views, asserting that the “power tussle” within Congress would intensify in the coming days.

The BJP leaders also claimed that the NDA’s strong performance in Bihar would strengthen the party in Karnataka as well. “After two-and-a-half years, Karnataka will see similar results to those in Bihar. There is maladministration and Muslim appeasement under CM Siddaramaiah. Soon, the people of Karnataka will teach a lesson to the Congress party,” Ashoka said.

Ashoka further claimed that Congress had lost 99 per cent of the elections it fought under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. “He (Gandhi) has become an ‘iron leg’ (bad luck causing failure) for the Congress party,” he added.