Surjewala cracks whip, demands discipline from K'taka Congmen

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala is said to have asked party leaders in the state to follow “discipline”. Sources said that he made the comments during the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting held at the Radisson Blue Hotel in Bengaluru on Monday. The remarks came in the backdrop of public statements by ministers opposing the elevation of Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to CM.

In May 2023 Siddaramaiah bagged 100 votes in the CLP meeting, clearing the path for him to become the CM a second time. Shivakumar, who finished a distant second, agreed to the Deputy CM’s post provided he would be the only one occupying the office and that he would be CM for the second half of the five-year term. However, Siddaramaiah loyalists in the Cabinet have repeatedly asserted that their man would remain the CM. Co-operation Minister KN Rajanna has been especially vocal, advising Shivakumar recently through the media that he seek the CM’s chair after leading the party in the next Assembly elections and not in this term.

Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) ministers had planned a dinner meeting last week at Home Minister G Parameshwara’s residence, purportedly to raise the demand for a Dalit CM to scuttle Shivakumar. However, the Deputy CM got Surjewala to postpone the meeting. Stung by this, both Parameshwara and Rajanna remained absent for the party’s Monday meeting. Surjewala also received a report on the performance of all 31 ministers and their work in their portfolios.

Sacrifice for party: Siddu

Earlier in the day, Siddaramaiah set tongues wagging when he advised leaders to sacrifice for the party. “Under Mahatma Gandhi ji’s leadership, people sacrificed to get independence. Similarly, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi sacrificed. We should also try to honestly walk the same path,” he said, referring to Sonia giving up the Prime Minister’s post to Manmohan Singh in 2004.