Statements on leadership and guarantees continue as Surjewala will visit Karnataka for second time

Rekindling the debate over leadership, an issue that frequently crops up, the Balehonnur-based Rambhapuri Mutt seer on Sunday said that the highest post of the Chief Minister should have gone to Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

“Mr. Shivakumar, who has strived to get the Congress to power, will feel satisfied if he gets the highest post. This can inspire him to do more work,” Veera Someshwara Rajadeshikendra Shivacharya told reporters at Kodihalli Sidddeshwaraswamy Hills in Kanakapura taluk near here. “Though many are urging for his replacement as the KPCC chief, till he occupies the Chief Minister’s post, Central leaders cannot ask him to vacate the post. If he becomes Chief Minister, probably he will vacate the KPCC president’s post,” the seer said.

His comments came ahead of All-India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala’s visit to Bengaluru on Monday as part of his exercise of meeting Congress legislators. Sources said that Mr. Surjewala will be speaking to 45 MLAs over three days this week while he had elicited the opinions of 40 MLAs last week. “He will speak to another set of MLAs next week. In the next phase, Mr. Surjewala will also meet MPs and Ministers to elicit their views on governance and government.”

This will be the second visit after a couple of senior legislators, including MLA for Aland B.R. Patil and MLA for Kagwad Bharamagouda (Raju) Kage, spoke of alleged corruption and slow-paced development works nearly a fortnight ago. H.A. Iqbal Hussain, Ramanagara MLA, had publicly raised the leadership issue indicating that Mr. Shivakumar would become Chief Minister in the next two to three months.

Meanwhile, Yelbarga MLA and Chief Minister’s Economic Adviser Basavaraj Rayaraddi, who allegedly told Yarvanike villagers in Koppal district on Saturday that if they needed roads the five guarantees had to be given up, on Sunday claimed that his words had been distorted. Stating that he remained firm in his commitment towards the guarantee schemes, he said that there was nothing wrong in supporting the poor.

Attacking him, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel H.D. Kumaraswamy questioned the statement and said that such remarks would only reflect the state of affairs of the government. “You cannot expect any development works from this government,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told reporters in Bengaluru on Sunday that there was no question of bringing changes to the guarantee schemes. “It is a programme for the poor of all sections that strengthens them socially and economically. We are giving some amount of money to all MLAs, including those from the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular), for road and bridge works in their constituencies,” he said.