BENGALURU: The storm over Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s new team refuses to blow over with one group of MLAs threatening to quit en masse, and another making known their intention to head to New Delhi to demand a change of leadership.
A day after actor-politician M H Ambareesh quit as MLA on being axed from the cabinet, six-time MLA from Afzalpur Malikayya Guttedar asserted that a group of 40 “like-minded” legislators, who have been treated “unfairly” would tender their resignations to Assembly Speaker on June 25. While he trained his guns on veteran leader M Mallikarjun Kharge for stymieing his entry into the ministry, former revenue minister V Srinivas Prasad, Mr Ambareesh and others met in Bengaluru and decided to sign on more legislators before knocking on the doors of central leaders for a change of leadership.
‘Like-minded MLAs will quit on June 25’
Mr Guttedar also declared that after the resignation, he would devote his entire time for defeating the Congress in his constituency as well as the district to “teach a lesson to senior leader Mr Mallikarjun Kharge”.
According to Mr Guttedar, these like-minded MLAs would meet at Bengaluru on Thursday and take a decision on resigning en masse. “If no MLA is prepared for this, I will walk into Vidhana Soudha alone and tender my resignation”, he declared.
Training his guns on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Mr Guttedar remarked that if the Congress has to survive in the state, it’s not enough if only the “bogies” ( read ministers) are changed, the “engine” (read Chief Minister) should also be changed”. “The sooner the high command realizes this, the better, otherwise Karnataka would become Congress-mukht”, he remarked.
Alleging that Mr Kharge’s “arrogance” and his love for his son was destroying the party in the district, Mr Guttedar vowed to teach the senior Congress leader a lesson. “I will not retire from politics, but devote my energy to defeat the Congress in the ensuing by-election to Afzalpur seat which will fall vacant after my resignation. I have the ability to become a kingmaker and demonstrate my real strength”, he added.
Meanwhile a section of disgruntled Congress leaders from Bidar district led by Humanabad MLA Rajshekar Patil, has decided to lodge a complaint with the party high command against the “high-handedness” of former chief minister Dharam Singh and his interference in district politics.
