CM Siddaramaiah irked with B K Hariprasad’s remarks, but Shivakumar keeps distance

BENGALURU: Days after Congress MLC B K Hariprasad remarked that he knows how to make people chief minister and also to unseat them, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is learnt to have expressed his anger among his confidants.

The CM was said to be angry as the remarks came at a time when “the new government was taking off smoothly”. Now, the ministers close to him have come in Siddaramaiah’s defence and are said to have suggested that they should complain to the party high command that Hariprasad’s utterances were unbecoming of him.

Siddaramaiah is said to be angry that Hariprasad made those remarks about him in public and felt that it could  damage the image of the government and embarass the party. It could also affect the party’s prospects in the Lok Sabha election next year, especially at a time when the Congress guarantees are getting positive response from the people and would give the opposition ammunition to take on the Congress over factionalism, the CM felt.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is known as a troubleshooter, has maintained a studied silence on the issue. Apparently, he is keeping away from the issue as he was left alone to face his troubles and does not want to wade into the Hariprasad controversy.

Given that Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah share a frosty relation, the former is said to have felt that he does not stand to gain by taking the latter’s side. Also, if he takes any side, he will be antagonising the other party and if Hariprasad’s comments rake up the issue of original Congressmen, he will stand to benefit, has been Shivakumar’s calculation.