Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge mentioned that the party high command will call Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to Delhi as required. Kharge stated that the summoning will happen whenever there is a necessity for it. Meanwhile, sources reported a 45-minute discussion between Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, and Kharge.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar are currently traveling together to Kalaburagi, Kharge’s hometown, for a series of meetings. Both leaders are set to meet the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, briefly at Mysuru airport on Tuesday. Sources anticipate that internal conflicts within the Congress might escalate after the Sankranti festival.
Deputy CM Shivakumar has been seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi for some time now and is expected to have a private discussion during the Congress observers’ meeting for Assembly elections in different states. Shivakumar, appointed as the party observer for the Assam Assembly elections, aims to address the political scenario in Karnataka and the uncertainty surrounding the Chief Minister’s position with Rahul Gandhi.
In response to Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s criticism of the Congress regarding the alleged discontinuation of MGNREGA, Kharge dismissed the claims as baseless. He emphasized that MGNREGA, ensuring the Right to Work, was introduced under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh for the welfare of the underprivileged. Kharge accused the Centre of diluting the scheme by altering the funding ratio and burdening states with additional costs.
Kharge criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for reducing funds for the poor while favoring corporates. He condemned this action and announced plans to protest against it. Addressing the situation in West Bengal, Kharge highlighted the BJP’s use of SIR to suppress the Opposition nationwide. He noted Rahul Gandhi’s concerns over alleged “vote theft” and emphasized the Congress’s serious approach to the matter.
