'No Time For Siddaramaih!' BJP Takes Potshot As Rahul Gandhi Doesn't Meet Karnataka CM

BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya took a dig at Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah after he returned without meeting Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. Amit Malviya claimed that Siddaramaiah travelled to Delhi but was denied a meeting with Rahul Gandhi. Amit Malviya in a post on X, formerly Twitter, said, "Humiliation in Delhi for Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah! He travelled all the way to the capital, only to be denied an appointment by Rahul Gandhi-and has now returned without even a meeting."

Historical Context and Political Tensions

Malviya drew parallels with past events involving Veerendra Patil, a former Karnataka leader. He noted, "This isn't the first time a Gandhi has insulted a senior leader from Karnataka." Malviya recalled how Rajiv Gandhi dismissed an unwell Veerendra Patil, which he believes led to Congress's decline in the state. He added that Siddaramaiah is now overshadowed by DK Shivakumar, who is allegedly waiting to replace him.

Veerendra Patil's Legacy

The reference to Veerendra Patil harks back to 1990 when communal riots erupted in Karnataka during a BJP-led rath yatra supporting the Ram Mandir construction in Ayodhya. At that time, Patil was the Chief Minister but had suffered a stroke and was bedridden. VP Singh was India's Prime Minister then. CK Jaffer Sharief informed Rajiv Gandhi about Patil's health, suggesting that leadership change was necessary due to his condition.

Current Leadership Speculations

On Thursday, Siddaramaiah met Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders. Despite ongoing rumours about leadership changes in Karnataka, Siddaramaiah has consistently denied any discussions with the Congress high command regarding this matter. On Friday, he reiterated, "How many times do I tell you, it (speculations around Karnataka Chief Minister post) was not discussed at all?"

Siddaramaiah expressed confidence in completing his five-year term as Chief Minister and dismissed talks of DK Shivakumar taking over later this year. Meanwhile, Shivakumar refrained from commenting on Siddaramaiah's statements about the Chief Minister's role but acknowledged his right to speak on it.

Internal Party Dynamics

Speculation about a leadership shift within Karnataka's ruling Congress party has persisted for some time. It is believed that there might be a power-sharing agreement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. Earlier meetings between Randeep Singh Surjewala and Congress MLAs further fueled these rumours.