‘High Command will intervene and sort it out”: Congress’ BK Hariprasad on tussle for Karnataka CM post

BENGALURU: Congress MLC BK Hariprasad on Friday said that Congress’s top leadership will sort out the issue which has been brewing over the tussle for the post of Chief Minister here in the state.

Speaking to reporters, BK Hariprasad said, “There is no problem. We are a democratic party; everything is fine inside the party. At the earliest, the High Command will intervene and sort out the issue. All will sit together and resolve the issue.”

Amid a stir over the Congress leadership in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday reiterated that he does not want to rush into things and that the party High Command will take a decision on the CM post. When asked about his meeting with spiritual leader Nanjavadutha Swamiji of the Vokkaliga community amid the power tussle, Shivakumar said Congress is his community, and he looks at all the communities in the state equally.

The Deputy CM told reporters, “I don’t want anything. I am not hurrying anything. My party will make the decision. I don’t want any community angle. Congress is my community, and my love is for all sections of society.”While there is speculation of the Congress high command meeting to take a decision on the CM post, instead, Shivakumar said that he will visit Delhi to keep Karnataka’s farmer issues ahead of the Winter Session of the Parliament.

He said, “I will definitely go to Delhi. It is our temple. Congress has a long history, and Delhi will always guide us. When they call me, the party leaders and CM, we will go there. I have a lot of work in Delhi. The Parliament Winter Session is coming up, and I have to meet the Parliamentarians because they need to take forward some of our projects. My CM is discussing the issues (with the Centre). There is the maize issue. The central government is not supporting or helping farmers. We have decided to call a meeting of factory owners. We request that Delhi take over and you buy it.”

On the Karnataka leadership row, Congress leader Pawan Khera said that there is no power tussle in the state.

“Let them (BJP) try what they have to. They lost the last election, and they will lose the next one too,” he said.

The leadership row in Karnataka began after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its tenure in November.Meanwhile, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge dismissed speculation about a leadership change in the state, asserting that Congress is united and will remain so. (ANI)