Congress cadres nervous as feud likely to worsen

Bengaluru: Just 48 hours before the Bharat Jodo Yatra of the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to enter Karnataka, rumblings of a feud between DK Shivakumar KPCC president and S Siddaramiah CLP leader have surfaced again. This time it got worse. It is likely to drag more senior leaders like RV Deshpande (8 times MLA from Haliyal-Uttara Kannada) Ramalinga Reddy and Zameer Ahmed.

Following the feud coming into open during the preparatory meeting held in the city for the success of the Yatra on Friday, the cadres have begun sending nervous reactions to the leadership at the district level particularly on the coast, Bayaluseeme and old Mysuru region.

On the coast, the Congress has already been relegated to just one seat in the Mangaluru assembly constituency. In Uttara Kannada, the Congress stronghold in Haliyal the fortunes are hanging in the balance following a rift between S L Ghotnekar and RV Deshpande. In Udupi, in all the three coastal parliamentary constituencies Congress has to strengthen the cadres, by sending a strong signal from the top leadership both in the State as well as the centre to the effect of a united Congress party in the state, particularly between Siddaramiah and DK Shivakumar.

This feud between them had arisen after a survey report in May 2022 indicated that Congress would return to power in the state. This report also caused irreparable damage to the image of the party in the state in many ways. The rift between the two leaders hinged on the 'Chief Ministerial face' of the party for which the top contenders were Siddaramiah and DK Shivakumar.

Despite Congress, being a party driven by the leadership and not by the cadres, it is now felt by the central leadership, that they must listen more to the cadres in the state. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's statement on Saturday stating that Rahul Gandhi could be the next AICC president has given some thoughts to the Congress leaders in the state and to the cadres that he will be able to nullify the effects of the feud between Siddaramiah and DK Shivakumar when the Bharat Jodo Yatra passes through Karnataka. Even the Gujarat state unit of Congress has proposed the name of Rahul Gandhi for the AICC top position.

Will announcing the CM candidate help?

The question that is on the top of the minds of the cadres is that if Rahul Gandhi announces the CM candidate for Karnataka things could fall in place. And either Siddaramiah or Shivakumar could stand down and work for the party's election campaign for 2023. This will also restore the power in the post of KPCC president to resolve all burning issues of factionalism with a heavy hand, including the one in North Karnataka involving Heblikar and Jarkiholi and Deshpande and Ghotnekar which will save the party from a lot of embarrassment in the run-up to the 2023 elections.

In this melee of one-upmanship between DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah the Congress in the state has forgotten the imposing presence of Mallikarjun Kharge who is a member of the G-23, the party should not forget what happened with Kabil Sibal, Gulam Nabi Azad, We yet do not know the fate of AK Antony, Veerappa Moily and Kharge as yet.