Disgruntled Congress leaders, who were dropped from the Siddaramaiah Cabinet during the reshuffle, continued protests on Monday, even as the party made feeble efforts to douse dissent.
One of the dropped Ministers, Dinesh Gundu Rao, was appointed working president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) with immediate effect, to pacify city MLAs, who wanted greater representation. KPCC president G. Parameshwara, in his letter from Germany, appealed to the workers not to protest.
However, discontentment among the workers took the form of protests in Bengaluru, Tumakuru, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Kalaburagi, and other places.
Vokkaliga discontent
The protests were widespread in Old Mysore region, from where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hails, and is also a strong Vokkaliga bastion. On Monday morning actor and former Home Minister H.M. Ambareesh sent a one-line resignation to the Deputy Speaker, which was rejected on the grounds that he did not personally hand over the resignation as per norms.
One of the actor’s supporters threatened to immolate herself in Mandya in protest. According to party sources, the AICC has summoned Mr. Ambareesh to New Delhi for conciliation.
Film industry’s support
The film industry has also extended support to Mr. Ambareesh. Producers suspended shooting, editing, and other production activities on Monday. As Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce did not give an official call for the bandh, some producers contacted the organisation to get clarity on the bandh. It is learnt that the KFCC is discussing on calling for an official bandh.
There is much discontent over two Vokkaliga Ministers — Mr. Ambareesh and Kimmane Ratnakar — being dropped, and none from the community being inducted. The Vokkaligara Sangha has already expressed displeasure over this. With many aspirants, no Vokkaliga MLA was inducted during the reshuffle, though Vijayanagar MLA, M. Krishnappa’s name was first proposed. Channapatna MLA C.P. Yogeshwar is also disappointed at not being inducted.
Kharge faces ire
Meanwhile, senior party leader and former Revenue Minister V. Srinivas Prasad openly aired his discontent and accused Mr. Siddaramaiah of being “ungrateful” despite helping him in his hour of crisis in the past. Not sparing leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjun Kharge, Mr. Prasad accused him of promoting his own son at the cost of another senior Dalit leader.
His supporters had called for a bandh in Nanjangud and blocked the national highway leading out of Mysuru to Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
In Bengaluru, Mayakonda MLA K. Shivamurthy Naik staged a dharna near the statue of Kengal Hanumanthaiya at the Vidhana Soudha accusing the party of “compromising with principles of social justice”. Another ministerial aspirant, Malikayya Guttedar, MLA of Afzalpur constituency, threatened to resign.
Meanwhile, Mr. Siddaramaiah is said to have succeeded in pacifying senior leader K.B. Koliwad, who will occupy the post of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, vacated by Kagodu Thimmappa, who has now been inducted into the Cabinet.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reshuffled the Cabinet as per the direction of the AICC to strengthen the organisation. Workers and leaders have to understand the limitation of the party in accommodating all aspirants.
G. Parameshwara,
KPCC president
