The success of the mega birthday event of the Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly, Siddaramaiah, seems to have, at least for now, convinced the warring factions in the Congress to bury their differences. This comes as a respite in the midst of a running feud between the former Chief Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar over who the next Chief Minister should be if the party wins the 2023 elections.
Both the leaders, who have attracted public attention with their game of one-upmanship, sought to demonstrate unity by hugging each other in front of massive crowds at Davangere on August 3. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi expressed joy over this demonstration. To drive home the point of collective leadership, Mr. Gandhi showered praises on Mr. Siddaramaiah’s five-year governance as well as Mr. Shivakumar’s organisational skills. He said by targeting the ruling BJP for its “misrule” and “failures” on several issues besides “corruption scandals”, the State Congress would be able to oust it from power.
Mr. Gandhi, who attended the first meeting of the KPCC’s political affairs committee in Hubballi just ahead of the big event, sent out a clear message to the leaders that public utterances on the party’s internal matters and leadership issues would not be tolerated. Apparently chastened, both leaders then rallied support for the ‘Freedom March’ to be held on August 15 and jointly addressed a press conference to mark the anniversary of the Quit India Movement.
