Karnataka Govt in ‘coma stage’ due to power tussle between Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, says LoP Ashoka

Referring to the cryptic social posts by Shivakumar over power sharing in recent months, he said that the state’s administration was stuck due to the power tussle. “The CM knows how uncertainty on leadership affects administration,” Ashoka said.

In January, Shivakumar appeared to revive the debate over leadership change in the state, posting on social media, “Even if efforts fail, prayer does not fail.” His post came a day after Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah spoke briefly with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Mysuru Airport. Both the CM and DyCM were at the Airport to receive Gandhi in the morning and send him off in the evening as the Congress leader used the Mysuru airport as a transit point between Delhi and Gudalur in Tamil Nadu.

Talking about the eviction row after houses were demolished at Kogilu, he said that none of those evicted were found eligible for the houses announced by the government. While the government was quick to announce houses for these people, it did not show the same alacrity when it came to demolitions elsewhere, he said.

He alleged that illegal Bangladeshi immigrants were involved in the encroachment. These immigrants, he claimed, were able to obtain identification papers for Rs 3,000. The illegal immigrants reached Karnataka via West Bengal and Assam. Many of them are employed in the coffee estates of Chikkamagaluru and Kodagu, while a large portion are in Bengaluru, Ashoka contended.

Ashoka demanded that the government evict all illegal immigrants in the state.