Congress Dismisses Rumors of Chief Minister Change in Karnataka. Randeep Surjewala Says Siddaramaiah Will Remain Chief Minister. Accusation of Spreading Rumors Against BJP.
Karnataka Politics: The Congress leadership has clarified its stance on the political speculations surrounding the Chief Minister's post in Karnataka. Randeep Singh Surjewala, the party's in-charge for Karnataka, has explicitly stated that Siddaramaiah will continue to be the Chief Minister. This statement puts a complete end to the speculations that were suggesting that D.K. Shivakumar would be made the Chief Minister.
Issue Heated Up by Iqbal Hussain's Claim
Recently, Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain made a significant claim that around 100 MLAs in the state want Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar to be the Chief Minister. He also stated that the demand to hand over the leadership to Shivakumar was gaining momentum. Following this statement, political activity intensified. However, the Congress responded swiftly to this matter and clarified the situation.
Randeep Surjewala's Blunt Response
In a press conference, Randeep Surjewala dismissed the rumors of a leadership change outright. He said, "Some of you had asked for my opinion regarding the leadership change. I am giving the same answer today that I gave yesterday. This answer is in just one word: 'No'."
Surjewala reiterated that the Congress leadership has faith in Siddaramaiah and that the state government will continue to function under his leadership. He said that the BJP had deliberately raised this issue to discredit the Congress government's guarantee schemes.
Review of MLAs and Focus on Public Welfare Schemes
Randeep Surjewala said that the party is currently meeting with all the MLAs and MPs to review the work done in their constituencies. The Congress leadership wants to ensure that the government's guarantee schemes are being implemented effectively.
He said, "We are trying to find out how much work each MLA has done in their area and what benefits the public has received. This is a part of our performance review."
Guarantee Schemes Become the Center of Political Debate
The Congress government has implemented five major guarantee schemes in Karnataka, including free bus travel for women, free electricity for poor families, allowances for unemployed youth, and the Griha Lakshmi scheme. Surjewala accused the BJP of wanting to abolish these public welfare schemes.
He said, "From BJP leaders like R. Ashok to B.Y. Vijayendra, they all want the Congress's guarantee schemes to be stopped so that the public does not get direct benefits. These schemes are providing relief to the Kannada people at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore. The BJP wants this money not to reach the public in a transparent manner."
Statement on D.K. Shivakumar's Role as well
Surjewala also clarified that Deputy CM D.K. Shivakumar is a senior leader of the party and his role is important in both the government and the organization. However, this does not affect Siddaramaiah's leadership. There is clarity regarding the leadership in the Congress, and no changes will be made.
Randeep Surjewala, indirectly sending a message to the Congress MLAs, said that all leaders should focus on their work in their respective areas. The main objective of the party is to serve the public and fulfill its election promises, not to get entangled in leadership disputes.
