Congress holds conventions when Siddaramaiah fears losing CM's post: K'taka BJP chief

Kalaburagi, July 19 (IANS) Karnataka BJP President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said on Saturday that whenever Chief Minister Siddaramaiah senses a threat to his position, he starts organising party conventions repeatedly to retain his political relevance.

Speaking to reporters, Vijayendra was responding to a query on the Congress' "Sadhana Samavesha" held in Mysuru.

"Siddaramaiah means conventions, and conventions mean Siddaramaiah. To retain his political relevance, he always puts forward the AHINDA communities (minorities, backward classes, and Dalits). Using these communities, he organises such events to cook his political broth and to intimidate the Congress high command. Beyond this, his two-and-a-half-year tenure as Chief Minister has seen zero achievement," he alleged.

The State BJP President said that if Siddaramaiah had delivered as the Chief Minister, the Karnataka Congress In-Charge Randeep Surjewala wouldn't need to frequently rush to Bengaluru to pacify disgruntled party MLAs.

"Surjewala has had to visit Karnataka time and again to understand what's going on in the minds of MLAs, whether to consider a leadership change, and whom to replace Siddaramaiah with. This shows that Siddaramaiah's position as Chief Minister is under threat, and by organising conventions, he is trying to pressure the high command," he claimed.

Vijayendra also said that there is an intense race for the Chief Minister's post within the Congress, and alleged that horse trading has begun.

"This government has done nothing in terms of achievement or development," he charged, adding that the MLAs' support is being negotiated with fixed rates.

He further remarked, "Mr. Siddaramaiah, by declaring in Delhi that he will remain the Chief Minister for five years, has directly challenged the Congress high command."

He said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had not even granted Siddaramaiah an audience during his recent visit to Delhi, stating this as proof that all is not well within the Congress.

"Congress MLAs are secretly sharpening their swords. Some are batting for Siddaramaiah, while others are backing D.K. Shivakumar," he said in response to another query.

Vijayendra said, "Siddaramaiah gets angry when someone even mentions Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's name."

"I had said Kharge, a Dalit leader, should be given a chance in the interest of justice for the Dalit community. It's also being discussed across the state that injustice was done to Home Minister G. Parameshwara."

"We in the BJP made Droupadi Murmu, a tribal woman, the President of India. Earlier, we had also elevated Ram Nath Kovind as the country's President. Congress leaders give big speeches about minorities, but it was the BJP that made APJ Abdul Kalam the country's President," the State BJP President added.

He also criticised Siddaramaiah, claiming, "In the past two-and-a-half years, this so-called AHINDA leader has done nothing but injustice to those very communities. He has failed to deliver justice or development. On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who comes from a backward class, has ensured justice for all communities across the country."

--IANS

mka/khz