Cong infighting in K'taka: Siddaramaiah supporters seek action against Hariprasad

Bengaluru: Congress infighting in Karnataka is raging by the day with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s supporters demanding action against the Council Opposition leader B.K. Hariprasad for his comments on the CM's post.

The development has put the ruling Congress in a fix.

Making his displeasure clear for not inducting him in the state cabinet, Hariprasad had stated that he wouldn't beg and knows how to bring down CMs and make CMs.

The statement had stirred a controversy and exposed the ruling Congress’s fault lines, which appeared to be strong. The supporters of Siddaramaiah are demanding that Hariprasad be sacked from the position of the Opposition leader in the council.

Meanwhile, Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwara has refused to comment over the issue and stated that the reporters should ask Hariprasad himself.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs H.K. Patil maintained that it is all the creation of the media and Hariprasad has not told anything of this sort.

The senior leaders not taking a position over the issue and falling short of supporting CM Siddaramaiah says all is not well in Congress party, say insiders.

DyCM D.K. Shivakumar is also unhappy over missing out on the post of the CM. His camp maintains that he would become the chief minister after 2.5 years.

Siddaramaiah’s staunch supporters Minister for Housing B.Z. Zameer Ahmad Khan and N. Cheluvarayaswamy have batted for the CM and slammed Hariprasad.

Meanwhile, the Siddaramaiah camp is urging the party to take action against Hariprasad and send his notice.

KPCC Secretary Varuna Mahesh has released a video and urged that Hariprasad should be given a notice for speaking against the CM Siddaramaiah.

Sources explain that it is not easy to take action against Hariprasad as he has close links with the high command and also has a good rapport with Gandhi family.

Hariprasad also belongs to the influential Ediga community which comes in the OBC category.

His firebrand speeches against the RSS, Hindutva and BJP are well known. State Congress President Shivakumar has not given a statement till date regarding issuing notice to Hariprasad.

Hariprasad had stated, “whether I get the cabinet berth or miss it is a different matter. I have played a role in the selection of five Congress Chief Ministers. Chhattisgarh CM is not my relative. I have made a backward class leader as the CM. I very well know how to make the CM and at same time I also dethrone them,” Hariprasad stated.

He had further stated that he will not beg for the positions. "I will take on the fight. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to pursue politics for 49 years in Bengaluru. I would have been shooed away. Our own people join their hands, we should not get exploited,” he had stated indirectly targeting CM Siddaramaiah.

The leaders belonging to Ediga, Billava, Deevara communities are not coming forward. In spite of all attempts, they are not able to come up in politics. “By seeing this, suspicion rises on whether the community leaders are becoming victims of conspiracy. CM Siddaramaiah belongs to the backward class. We supported him in 2013 with an intention of getting united. After extending the support, we don’t plead or beg for positions.

"We had asked for Rs 5 crore grant for Koti Channayya park in Karkala town of Udupi district, CM Siddaramaiah had promised to provide funds. But, till date it is not granted. He is not in a position to help me politically. Infact I will support him. Backward classes are not confined to one caste. We come under different sections and castes. Everyone should get equal rights,” he said.

Hariprasad further stated that in 11 Assembly seats Ediga, Billava and Deewara community are deciding positions. “I was also on the Election Committee. Four candidates from these communities missed the tickets. The tickets were given to minority candidates in Mangaluru North and South seats. In the pretext of alloting tickets to minorities, our candidates are denied tickets to contest elections,” he charged.

"The future generation should be benefited. He (Siddaramaiah) has been telling religious pontiffs that there is already a minister from the community and there is no need for the other. We have to organize, otherwise we will be exploited,” Hariprasad stated.

The development has got the Congress leadership worried as there are clear signs of rebellion against the CM Siddaramaiah.

Congress party is not in a position to afford infighting at this stage when the stage is all set to take on BJP at the national level, deriving core strength from Karnataka. It is to be seen how the high command deals with the situation.