Bengaluru: With as many as eight of the 13 Congress rebels demanding a ‘leadership change’ in the state, there are many in the Congress who suspect a Siddaramaiaah ‘hand’ (many of the rebel MLAs are his loyalists) was responsible for the current crisis with the coalition government teetering on the brink.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader in New Delhi, said "We knew it but we couldn't do anything for the last 13 months. Mr Nagaraj (a very rich legislator and a Siddaramaiah loyalist) taking flight, speaks volumes about the agenda behind this game. Certainly, he would not have gone after money and he is already a minister.
Mr Nagaraj's exit clears all doubts that the operation was planned and executed by Siddaramaiah," the source claimed. According to this source, Mr Siddaramaiah does not mind his supporters surviving in other parties for the time being as they can be brought back whenever polls are announced to the Assembly.
“If the BJP forms the government now and completes the remaining four-year term, he can still aspire for power during the next poll as he will be around 75 at that time. He feels that the incumbency factor will ensure the BJP loses power after four years and he can become CM again. This is a long term plan and no one knows if he will succeed in his objective,” the source argued and added that the former CM can at least rejoice in the fact that he has humbled his arch rivals - the H.D. Deve Gowda family by bringing the Kumaraswamy government down.
