In 3 years, fortunes dipped, SM Krishna became irrelevant for Congress leaders

Bengaluru: Shambhavi - former external affairs minister S.M. Krishna's private residence which was once Congress leaders' second stop in the city - has now become the political epicentre for BJP politicians who are queuing up there over the last three days.

A number of leaders from the BJP have started pouring in from different parts of the state to speak to Mr Krishna. "At least for the last three years that is since 2012, Mr Krishna's house was forgotten by Congress leaders and in its place, Radha Niwas, where Congress party's Lok Sabha leader M. Mallikarjuna Kharge resides, had become the second stop for most Congress leaders. In the last three years, scenario changed as also the leaders who mattered," a senior Congress leader told this newspaper. He quickly added that Mr Krishna too was to blame for this, as when Congress leaders went to meet him after 2012, he behaved strangely his old colleagues. "In some cases, he would just listen and leave without offering any advice or comment. That is how his growing age became a constant nagging point for those leaders who went out of Shambhavi empty handed," the source said.

Meanwhile, Mr Kharge's stature rose, and the leaders' focus too shifted from Shmbahavi to Radha Nivas, which is situated on the next lane in the same locality.

Soon after Mr Krishna's outbursts against party central leadership, especially against party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, none of the Congress leaders mentioned Mr Krishna's name, even in casual conversations. "It was clear that our party senior leader had attacked the central leadership, and automatically we shut ourselves," the source said.

After Mr Krishna resigned, none of the Congress leaders, even those who were close to him once, met him. But BJP leaders, R. Ashok, V. Srinvasaprasad, Tumakuru former MP G.S. Basavaraju, and JD(S) party's suspended legislators, N. Cheluvarayaswamy and B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan, made a beeline over the last three days.

A number of leaders from the BJP have started pouring in from different parts of the state to speak to Mr S.M. Krishna. “At least for the last three years that is since 2012, Mr Krishna’s house was forgotten by Congress leaders and in its place, Radha Niwas, where Congress party’s Lok Sabha leader M. Mallikarjuna Kharge resides, had become the second stop for most Congress leaders. In the last three years, scenario changed as also the leaders who mattered," a senior Congress leader told this newspaper. He quickly added that Mr Krishna too was to blame for this, as when Congress leaders went to meet him after 2012, he behaved strangely with his old colleagues.