Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (MS)
Bengaluru, Jul 7: It is learnt that the Congress high command is not happy with the leaders of Karnataka Congress, including former CM Siddaramaiah, for not giving due importance to the dissidence that was growing in the party, which has led to the resignation of many MLAs at once.
Siddaramaiah, leader of Congress legislature party, has been asked to give explanation for the present crisis by Ahmed Patel, former political secretary to Sonia Gandhi. It is learnt that Ahmed Patel has questioned Siddaramaiah as to why no steps were taken to prevent his own confidantes from tendering resignation.
Muniratna, Byrati Basavaraj and S T Somashekar, three out of the MLAs, who resigned on Saturday are the close confidantes of Siddaramaiah. Patel is said to be upset over the state Congress leaders for not being able to hold back senior leader Ramalinga Reddy, who has a strong follower base in the capital.
10 Congress and three JD (S) MLAs resigned on Saturday. It is learnt that former PM and JD (S) supremo H D Deve Gowda has spoken to Sonia Gandhi on Saturday and accused Siddaramaiah for the present crisis. Deve Gowda is said to have placed the buck directly on Siddaramaiah of being responsible for the collapse of the coalition government in Karnataka. However, according to sources in Congress, Siddaramaiah has given explanation that the Congress MLAs were not happy with the style of functioning of CM Kumaraswamy.
As per sources, the government did not take into confidence the MLAs of Bengaluru during the process of delimitation of BBMP wards. This has irked them as the delimitation has harmed their prospects as many parts of their constituencies are removed and are to be merged with other segments.
In the midst of these developments, it is also learnt that K C Venugopal, AICC general secretary and in-charge of affairs of the party in Karnataka, has lashed against Eshwar Khandre, working president of Congress in the state for not taking adequate measures to curb the rebellion, which resulted in the resignation of the MLAs