Karnataka Congress in troubleshoot mode as state in-charge meets disgruntled MLAs

The Print

16 hours ago

'We are also trying to understand from our legislators the status of congress organisations in their respective constituencies,' Surjewala told reporters in Bengaluru.
Randeep Singh Surjewala, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka, met with several MLAs in Bengaluru, taking turns to address concerns that have been piling up for some time now.
Bengaluru: Karnataka Congress went into overdrive Monday trying to address grievances of its disgruntled legislators as its internal issues threaten to fuel an implosion within the ruling party and the state government.
Surjewala called it an 'organisational exercise' to understand the status of the party's guarantees in their respective constituencies. Around 40 legislators—most of whom have publicly voiced their dissatisfaction with the administration's functioning and raised allegations of corruption—were called to meet with Surjewala. Legislators like Raju Kage, B.R. Patil, and several others have been relentless in their criticism of the Siddaramaiah-led government, accusing some ministers of corruption and highlighting systemic failures.
With CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy, D.K. Shivakumar, already engaged in a bitter battle for dominance, the allegations by its legislators have only made things more difficult for the two-year-old administration as well as provide the opposition with fresh ammunition to corner the government.
Surjewala will be meeting all Congress legislators over the next 3 days as some of the anger was targeted at the general secretary as well for remaining more in Delhi than addressing the grievances of the state he holds charge of.
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'Congress high command a ghost'
Siddaramaiah Monday tried to dispel claims that all was not well with him and his deputy, Shivakumar.
'He (Shivakumar, addressing him in the singular) and I are on good terms,' Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru.
'This government will be safe as a boulder,' the CM added, using the Kannada word 'bande'—a term used by Shivakumar's supporters to emphasise his political resilience.
But much of this camaraderie appears to be for the cameras, with sources indicating that Shivakumar is pressuring the party high command to keep its promise of replacing Siddaramaiah midway through the current term.
But the 76-year-old CM and his loyalists have been firmly opposed to the idea, thrown their weight behind Siddaramaiah, and even called for replacing Shivakumar as the state party chief.
Minsters, MLAs and others have taken turns to weigh in on the issue, leaving the party red faced.
K.N. Rajanna, the cooperation minister said that there is likely to be a change of guard after October and also lamented the presence of multiple power centres in the state. Several other MLAs and ministers, too, have aired their opinions, exposing the faultlines and bitter infighting within the Congress.
AICC President, Mallikarjuna Kharge, too, said that the party high command will take a decision on any leadership change in the state.
'See, that (change in leadership) is in the hands of the high command, nobody can say here what is going in the (minds of the) high command. This is left to the high command. (The) high command has power to take further action but unnecessarily one should not create problems,' Kharge told reporters in Bengaluru.
His repeated emphasis on the high command, despite being the national president of the Congress party, gave BJP leaders a handle to take jibes.
'The Congress High Command is like a ghost. It is unseen, unheard, but always felt,' it said.
The Congress High Command is like a ghost. It is unseen, unheard, but always felt. Even the Congress President, who people thought is the high command, whispers its name and says it's not him.
So eerie! https://t.co/GpcdHWQbSs
— Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) June 30, 2025
'Fighting to fix the system'
Surjewala met legislators one by one after they were summoned on Monday. B.R. Patil, one of the seniormost among them—who had earlier resigned as the CM's political advisor and accused the housing ministry of corruption—also met with Surjewala.
'I have met him and brought to his attention all the issues. He has taken note of it. What action they will take is up to the high command,' he told reporters in Bengaluru.
He added that he was not a disgruntled leader.
'I did not air out my dissent. I am not unsatisfied but a fighter who is fighting to fix the system,' he said.
Raju Kage did not meet Surjewala but is expected to Tuesday.
Parameshwara, Karnataka's minister for home affairs, said that Surjewala was in Bengaluru to check the party organisation ahead of the long-delayed local body elections. He said that he, too, had sought time with Surjewala but did not specify the purpose.
The national leadership of the Congress was accused by some leaders of not paying enough attention to the growing problems in Karnataka. Kharge, too, refused to react to the statements of his own party members.
'I cannot react to all their statements. I can only talk about what happens at the AICC level, if I start giving reactions to each and every statement …. There are enough questions for which we cannot keep looking for answers,' Kharge said.
But the AICC president said that Surjewala will submit a report of his findings to the high command upon which further action will be taken.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
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