BBMP power struggle: Siddaramaiah gets green signal for alliance with JD(S)
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar and Bengaluru in-charge minister Ramalinga Reddy during a meeting with party's newly elected corporators in Bengaluru on Saturday (Photo: DC)
Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s camp seems to have gained an upper hand over loyal Congress leaders, who reportedly wanted to thwart his plans to forge an alliance with the JD(S) to take control of the BBMP from the BJP. Mr Siddaramaiah’s Machiavellian moves have been approved by none other than AICC general secretary, Digvijay Singh, sources close to the developments said.
A senior leader from the chief minister’s camp told Deccan Chronicle, “Mr Digvijay Singh, who is a sworn critic of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to take the lead form the front. He assured Mr Siddaramaiah that he would firefight even if loyal, senior Congress leaders from the state opposed the idea of forging the alliance.”
Mr Singh is convinced that Mr Siddaramaiah camp's move to win the sentiments of the minorities by stopping the BJP from coming to power in the BBMP is the right step. They said, “Mr Singh reportedly said that the issues concerning local bodies need not be approved by AICC president Sonia Gandhi or party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, as he could take a decision.”
But sources also said that it could be an attempt to ensure that Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi are not blamed if the Congress overtures to the BJP blow up in the face of Mr Siddramaiah, particularly when the BJP has been blaming the chief minister for trying to go against the people’s mandate.
“Mr Siddaramaiah first convinced Mr Singh and then launched his Operation Hand to form the BBMP council,” the sources claimed.
This is now being seen as Mr Siddaramaiah's big victory against Congress senior leaders, who were criticising his every move. “Congress loyalists are seething with anger over Mr Siddaramaiaha's decision to launch this operation. At first, even most of his cabinet colleagues disapproved of it. He then decided to use first time MLAs, especially his close confidantes, like Bairathy Basavaraju, P. Ramesh and Munirathana Naidu, to execute his plan," the source said.
“The Congress has every right to make a bid for power in the BBMP as the vote share between the BJP and the Grand Old Party is only 1 percentage point. The BJP secured 50 per cent of votes and secured 100 seats, while the Congress got 49 per cent, but won only 76 seats,” the source said.
