Belagavi, Dec 9 (IANS) A day after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra Siddaramaiah’s assertion that the Congress leadership has turned down Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar’s demand to become CM, the Karnataka BJP unit questioned whether the grand old party MLC was the new Congress high command.

Taking to social media X, the Leader of the Opposition in Assembly R. Ashoka said on Tuesday, “While BJP has no interest in the Congress endless internal power games, as a responsible Opposition, we are worried about one thing – Karnataka’s development coming to a grinding halt and governance collapsing to a standstill.”

“The Assembly has shifted from Bengaluru to Belagavi for the Winter Session. But the Congress leadership tussle has not moved even an inch.

Forced breakfast meetings, staged photo-ops, scripted smiles – nothing is hiding the truth. The State Government is paralysed,” Ashoka stated.

“Karnataka’s governance is frozen. Development is derailed. But the Congress high command is busy managing egos instead of managing the State. Karnataka is paying the price for this Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar cold war and their never-ending power-sharing soap opera,” Ashoka chided.

“Congress’ internal circus must end. The people of Karnataka deserve stability – not daily confusion. And now, the big question was: Is Yathindra Siddaramaiah the new ‘High Command’ of the Congress party?

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge owe an answer to the people of Karnataka, he stated.

It can be recalled, responding to questions about an alleged leadership tussle within the ruling Congress, Yathindra Siddaramaiah said on Monday that those predicting a change in the Chief Minister’s position were “dreaming”.

He said the Congress high command has made it clear that there will be no change in leadership in the state.

Yathindra said, “Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has said he is an aspirant for the CM’s post. In response, the high command has clarified that this is not the appropriate time and also made it clear that there will be no change in the Chief Minister.”

Responding to Yathindra’s remark, Shivakumar said that there is no confusion within the Congress party and that he has no differences with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. “There was no disagreement earlier, there is none now, and there will not be any in the future,” he claimed.

–IANS

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