Last Update: May 17, 2023, 13:44 IST
Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar (left) are fighting for the top post in Karnataka. (PTI)
According to the MLA, Siddaramaiah told him that all the surveys gave him the highest approval rating and DK Shivakumar got only 10% of it. Also, Ahinda has voted for the Congress in the hope that Siddaramaiah will become the chief minister.
As suspense continues over who will be the chief minister of Karnataka, Congress’ top contender Siddaramaiah told a senior Vokkaliga legislator on Tuesday night that it “should be either him or a third person, but not his rival DK Shivakumar”.
According to the MLA, Siddaramaiah told him that all the surveys gave him the highest approval rating and DKS got only 10% of it. Moreover, the Ehinda – minorities, backward classes and Dalits – have largely voted for the Congress, expecting Siddaramaiah to be the chief minister and if not, they will break away from the Congress in the coming Lok Sabha elections, the legislator said.
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The legislator said that Siddaramaiah has claimed the support of a majority of legislators and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi believes that the one who gets the most votes should be made the chief minister.
Siddaramaiah’s threat to retire from politics and not get involved in any party affairs in future has left the senior MLA reeling.
Siddaramaiah explained that the five guarantees of Congress can be implemented only if he is made the CM. He claimed that he told the high command about the various cases that DKS is facing and how they could be used against him if he is made the chief minister, which could destabilize the government,” the MLA said. Said.
“He is clear about one thing. Either he or any third person, no DKS under any circumstances. He has made it clear that Congress should not expect him to work for the party in future and he will retire. It shook me. We cannot imagine Congress without Siddaramaiah. If he is not around, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will easily win the next election. JDS can also be revived,” he said. told News18.
Caste Mobility
OBCs, Muslims and STs are showing their might to ensure that Siddaramaiah gets the top post. Dalits are keeping silent. Even all Vokkaliga MLAs are not with DKS for personal reasons.
The Lingayats, which have given 34 seats to the Congress, its highest since 1989, are uneasy with the ongoing power tussle between the two and are demanding at least a deputy CM and seven-eight crucial cabinet berths for them. Congress has wiped out Lingayat districts one by one. They are uncomfortable with DKS muscle flexing.
Lingayats want to stay away from both DKS and Siddaramaiah in this power struggle. They want at least one deputy CM post and seven-eight crucial cabinet berths for their top leader MB Patil. Lingayats constitute 16% of the population and control 25% of the votes in Karnataka. Their fists are the strongest.
He says that the acceptance of DKS to Lingayats is his version and not that of the community.
The Lingayat block is the biggest and most powerful and the Vokkaligas will not support the chief minister. They are fine with an OBC as they have a sizeable number in Lingayat areas.
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Even though Lingayats are not fans of Ahinda, they need each other for political survival and this could tilt the balance in favor of Siddaramaiah.
Siddaramaiah has also warned that if this impasse is not resolved quickly, whatever the Congress had achieved in the past few years would be lost in just a week, leading to the return of the BJP.