‘K’taka administration has collapsed; removing OBC CM will hurt Congress in 2028 polls’: BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai

BENGALURU: Amid the ongoing leadership tussle within the ruling Indian National Congress in Karnataka, BJP MP and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the state government, alleging that the administration had “collapsed” under Congress rule.

Bommai claimed that governance and development work in the state had come to a standstill and said the leadership change speculation within Congress reflected instability in the ruling party. He further alleged that the problems in governance began from the time CM Siddaramaiah was chosen as Chief Minister and would continue even if Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar takes over.

“The administration in Karnataka has collapsed. No development work is being done. The people are suffering. I don’t think DK Shivakumar has a magic wand to change this. The deterioration which started at the time of Siddaramaiah will continue with Shivakumar. By the end of their term, the govt will be in shambles, and the State will be in a poor condition”, said Bommai.

Bommai also accused Congress leaders of prioritising power struggles over governance. “We have been raising this issue, but there are a lot of power-hungry people in Congress who are not bothered about what the Opposition or the people say. This is why they (Congress) will pay the price in the next elections,” he said.

The former Chief Minister further said that replacing an OBC leader from the top post could politically hurt Congress in the 2028 Assembly elections. “Whenever a chief minister is removed, it has an effect. If an OBC leader is removed, the OBC people will be unhappy. This will create a lot of problems for the Congress in the 2028 assembly elections,” he said.

He also claimed that the leadership issue within Congress was not new and had existed since the formation of the government. “The problem originated the day Siddaramaiah was chosen as the chief minister. It was not a unanimous selection. For the last three years, they have been talking about a change of power. They have neglected the people of Karnataka. Marathon meetings show that not everything is well within the ruling party in Karnataka,” said the former CM.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that discussions with the Congress high command will be addressed tomorrow, amid continuing speculation surrounding a possible leadership change in the Karnataka Congress.

Siddaramaiah made the remarks after paying floral tribute to India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his 62nd death anniversary at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. When asked specifically about talks with the party high command, Siddaramaiah said, “We will talk about it tomorrow.”

The remarks come as Siddaramaiah is set to hold a key breakfast meeting with Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at his official residence ‘Kaveri’ in Bengaluru on Thursday, a development being closely watched amid recurring discussions around leadership transition within the ruling Congress.

The meeting follows a high-level Congress leadership discussion held in New Delhi on Tuesday. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar were present at the meeting.

Following the Delhi meeting, Congress general secretary KC Venugopal had clarified that discussions were limited to organisational matters, including upcoming Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections, and dismissed reports of any leadership change as “speculation”. (ANI)