Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar baton change buzzing, how Congress is handling its restive Karnataka MLAs

India Today

2 days ago

As the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government approaches the halfway mark of its tenure in Karnataka, the ruling party is seeking a report card on the performance of its legislators while also conducting a review of the organisational apparatus.The exercise comes amidst a bout of dissent from Congress MLAs, many of whom have been clamouring for more funds for their constituencies, giving Opposition parties ample ammunition to target the government over state finances.advertisementBesides, the familiar refrain of a leadership change at the government's helm has resurfaced.Speculation about a mid-term handover of the baton from chief minister Siddaramaiah to his deputy D.K. Shivakumar has been a constant undercurrent of the Congress tenure in Karnataka since it came to power in May 2023.
The current spell of speculation began with a cryptic comment by cooperation minister K.N. Rajanna that big changes were due in September. Coming from a Siddaramaiah loyalist, speculation was rife that Rajanna was hinting at a cabinet reshuffle or a new Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief.Shivakumar is serving an extended tenure as PCC president, and Siddaramaiah loyalists like Rajanna have been pressing for a change.Although Rajanna didn't elaborate on what the changes would be, other voices soon joined the chorus. Ramanagara MLA H.A. Iqbal Hussain, a Shivakumar loyalist, said the latter deserved a chance to become chief minister, having led the party to power as state chief.advertisementWhile the Congress top brass sought to dismiss talk about a change of guard, on another front, it had to contend with other MLAs airing their complaints aloud. Particularly damaging for the government were the allegations by B.R. Patil, a senior Congress legislator from Aland, about corruption in a housing scheme for the poor. MLA Raju Kage threatened to resign, complaining about delayed work orders for projects sanctioned in his constituency.Scarce fund allocations for infrastructure work in their constituencies has been an ongoing grouse of Congress MLAs, given the government's significant expenditure on the five key welfare schemes, or election guarantees, that were implemented immediately after the Congress came to power. To address such complaints, Siddaramaiah had announced the Rs 8,000 crore Chief Minister's Infrastructure Development Programme, focused on road construction and other infrastructure, in Budget 2025 presented in March.'There are more than sufficient funds available for development. This is a bogey being raised by the BJP as they want the government guarantees to be shut down,' said Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC (All India Congress Committee) general secretary in charge of Karnataka, on July 1.Surjewala is holding meetings with Congress legislators as part of the performance review. He is slated to meet all MLAs over the next eight days. The Congress has 136 MLAs in the state, including Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.advertisement'It is a continuous process. We are trying to understand from our MLAs what work they have done in the past two years in their constituencies. It is important to review their performance,' he said, adding that the performance of ministers will also be looked into. 'We are also asking them (MLAs) about any difficulties or aspirations they have....We will convey it to the government.'The review will also cover the efficacy of the election guarantees in each constituency as well as the performance of district-level Congress functionaries and frontal organisations. 'So, this is a review of the main body organisation too. It will give an idea of how we should make our policies more responsive to the people,' Surjewala said.According to him, no opinions are being sought on a leadership change. 'The answer is clearly a no,' he said. In a bid to quell the open speculation, notices are being issued to legislators such as Hussain for making public statements about a possible change of guard.Shivakumar outlined the purpose of Surjewala's visit. 'Randeep Surjewala is here to receive pleas from MLAs and give guidance on the [running of the] party organisation. He is trying to bring in discipline in the party amidst public statements by some MLAs,' said the deputy chief minister. 'Neither a cabinet expansion nor a leadership change was discussed. We are not in a hurry for that; our sole focus is 2028 [state elections].'advertisementSubscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch