Bengaluru, Aug 1 (UNI) The Karnataka Congress workers and leaders are hopeful of brokering peace between two warring factions of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah and state Congress president D.K. Shivakumar during the scheduled visit of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi to Hubballi on Tuesday (August 2). Rahul Gandhi will visit Karnataka to attend celebrations for 75 years of the birth anniversary of Siddaramaiah in Davanagere city on August 3. In fact, the celebration of the birth anniversary has become a bone of contention between the Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar factions.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah’s followers have released an album titled “naane mundina CM” (I am the next CM) dedicated to veteran Congress leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister. The Congress is hoping to make a comeback in Karnataka in the upcoming assembly elections of 2023 riding on anti-incumbency.
According to Congress insiders, the tussle between Shivakumar and Siddramaiah is showing all signs of affecting the party’s prospects in the upcoming Assembly elections. Rahul Gandhi would hold a meeting in Hubballi on Tuesday night during which he is expected to address the issue and bring cohesion between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah.
The Congress high command had managed to patch up both leaders during the ‘Chintan Shivir’ held in May in Udaipur in Rajasthan. Sources said the meeting will address the core issue of the “next CM” campaign by both camps. Meanwhile, former
Union Minister Veerappa Moily has announced that former opposition leader of Legislative Council S.R. Patil is also capable of becoming the chief minister, creating more confusion. The Congress leaders in Karnataka have requested the party’s high command to bring an understanding among leaders. For the first time, the party has formed the Political Affairs Committee in which 28 Congress leaders and 7 special invitees have been made members to discuss the road map with an aim to attain victory in the upcoming assembly elections.
The meeting chaired by Rahul Gandhi will be attended by Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, and Opposition leader in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, former Union Minister and Congress Working Committee Member Veerappa Moily, and others. The leaders will also discuss Bharat Jodo Yatra which will take place in the state in November. Rahul Gandhi is also expected to meet Lingayat seer Shivamurthy Murugha Sharanaru, and other seers.
