GG News Bureau
Bengaluru, 3rd Oct. In a major political development, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is likely to face an FIR in connection with the MUDA case after failing to secure relief from the High Court. Speculation is rife about the possibility of his tenure as CM coming to an end. Meanwhile, senior leaders within his party are eyeing the top post as a potential opportunity for themselves.
Reports suggest that prominent ministers like G Parameshwara, HC Mahadevappa, and Satish Jarkiholi have thrown their hats into the ring for the Chief Minister’s position. The three leaders held a late-night meeting with Siddaramaiah, which was kept under wraps. This meeting, lasting two hours at Mahadevappa’s official residence, marked the third such discussion in recent months.
It is being speculated that, in case Siddaramaiah steps down, the party may choose someone from the SC/ST community as the next Chief Minister. While Jarkiholi belongs to the ST community, both Parameshwara and Mahadevappa are from the SC community. A senior Congress official mentioned, “This meeting was part of a larger strategy to plan for the future.”
For over a decade, there has been a demand within the Congress to appoint a CM from the SC/ST communities. In the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, these communities provided robust support to the party, which these influential leaders now believe is the right time to fulfill this long-standing demand.
A Congress official stated, “Parameshwara and Jarkiholi both have aspirations to become the Chief Minister, which is why they are advocating for a ‘Dalit CM’. With strong support from these communities, it might be difficult for the party high command to ignore their requests. Their strategy also includes securing the Deputy CM position if the Chief Minister’s post goes to someone else.”
Some political observers believe these meetings are aimed at countering Deputy CM DK Shivakumar’s ambitions to succeed Siddaramaiah. Reports indicate that a supposed deal between the Congress leadership, made before the 2023 elections, includes a shared CM term between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar for 30 months each.
However, Jarkiholi denied that the Chief Minister’s post was part of the discussions during their meeting.
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