Mysuru, Jul 18 (PTI) Karnataka BJP president B Y Vijayendra on Friday predicted a major political development in the state later this year, amid speculation about the chief minister change within the ruling Congress.
Ahead of the government’s mega convention “Sadhana Samavesha” in Mysuru on July 19, he claimed that the event is part of Siddaramaiah’s conspiracy to “blackmail or threaten” the Congress high command, using his AHINDA vote bank, against any move to replace him from the CM post.
AHINDA is a Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits.
“Wait and see in November, or either before the Bihar election or after the Bihar election. It is certain that a major political development will take place in Karnataka. No one can stop it from happening,” Vijayendra told reporters in response to a question on CM or leadership change developments in the ruling Congress.
Asked about the BJP’s role in the predicted political developments, he said, “The BJP is functioning as an opposition in the state, and we are satisfied.” The state government is organising the Sadhana Samavesha, where development works worth over Rs 2,600 crore for Mysuru will be inaugurated and foundation stones will be laid, according to officials.
Siddaramaiah is known for holding conventions whenever he faces a threat to the CM’s post. Tomorrow’s event is part of a conspiracy to directly threaten the Congress high command, Vijayendra claimed.
“Recently, when Siddaramaiah went to Delhi, Rahul Gandhi did not give him an appointment. He directly met Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress President) and gave an interview to the national media where he threw a challenge at the Congress high command (by asserting he will be CM for five years).
“So, tomorrow’s convention in Mysuru is not just a Sadhana Samavesha, there is a conspiracy to blackmail the Congress high command behind it,” he said.
Further, questioning the CM as to why Sadhana Samavesha is being held, he said, “There is no such situation. What is your Sadhane (achievement)?” Alleging that Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar’s competition for free publicity led to stampede outside Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on June 4 killing eleven people, Vijayendra said both of them should have taken responsibility, but innocent police officers are being made the scapegoat.
“RCB is also being made a scapegoat using the retired Justice John Michael Cunha commission (the one-man inquiry commission constituted by the government to inquire into the stampede) report, to prove themselves (Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar) as innocent,” he claimed and asked, is this the achievement for which the Sadhana Samavesha is being held? Questioning the government about what is had achieved and done for Mysuru to hold the Sadhana Samavesha here, the state BJP chief said, “Sadhana Samavesha is not to commemorate the chief minister’s achievements or the development of the state or for giving crores of money for Mysuru region. Instead, as the time has come for him (Siddaramaiah) to resign as the CM, to assert that he won’t resign for any reason, this is a conspiracy to threaten the Congress high command.” Alleging that Siddramaiah holds conventions whenever there is a threat to his CM seat, he said, it is only then the CM remembers AHINDA communities, which is his strong support base and vote bank.
Using the AHINDA communities as his “capital”, Siddaramaiah is conspiring to threaten Shivakumar and the Congress high command, he alleged.
Asked if the conspiracy will work out this time too, Vijayendra said there are limitations to any conspiracy. The Congress leaders themselves have been saying there is a power sharing understanding between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar at the high command level.
“The situation seems to have arisen for the CM to resign, so all this game is going on. We will get an answer to this in the days ahead,” he added.
The Karnataka Congress has been under scrutiny over reports of a rotational chief minister arrangement between Shivakumar and current Chief Minister Siddaramaiah following the party’s victory in the 2023 Assembly elections.
While both leaders have publicly denied any such formal agreement, speculation continues to persist within party circles. PTI KSU KH
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