Machiavellian conspiracy of PMO and Home Ministry: Cong backs Siddaramaiah after Gov’s prosecution nod

The Governor’s move has come at a time when the Congress in Karnataka is facing a fresh factional tug of war. But the Siddaramaiah camp believes the attacks against him by the BJP and JD(S) and the Governor’s move have pushed the leadership into backing him completely. With the Congress gearing up for Assembly elections in four states, they believe the leadership will have no choice but to defend him.

But all is not well in Karnataka Congress. Coinciding with Opposition’s attacks on the CM were calls from a section of the Karnataka Congress to replace Shivakumar as state Congress chief, a post he has been holding for four years, and the appointment of more Deputy CMs to placate influential communities. The Shivakumar camp believes the demands have the blessings of the CM. On the other hand, there have been demands to elevate Shivakumar as the CM.

Sources in Delhi said there was no question of replacing Siddaramaiah now. Party leaders pointed out Siddaramaiah is one of the popular Backward Class faces of party and replacing him at a time when the party is aggressively playing OBC political card could politically backfire.

Defending the CM Saturday, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala said the Governor’s action was a “conspiracy against the poor, the backward, the SC/ST and the marginalized sections by the BJP and the Modi Government”.

“In a brazen political conspiracy hatched in corridors of PMO and the Home Ministry in Delhi against people of Karnataka and its elected Government, the ‘puppet Governor of Karnataka’ has proceeded to grant prosecution sanction against the CM by dancing to the tune of his political masters. The decision is an act of shameless unconstitutionality by the Governor,” he said.

“The Machiavellian conspiracy of PMO/Home Ministry/BJP leaders has 3 facets: Try to steal the vote and mandate of people of Karnataka, decisively given in favour of Congress, by using the office of a ragdoll Governor, attack Congress Government to accomplish BJP’s evil design to stop five Congress guarantees… and attack Backward Class/SC/ST and marginalised sections by a fabricated design to tarnish image of India’s senior-most backward class CM.”