Daijiworld Media Netwok - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 5: As per information, Congress leaders hurled accusations against each other at a meeting of senior party leaders held here on Saturday January 4. Senior party leaders on one hand and former chief minister Siddaramaiah on the other, exchanged charges against each other. At the same time, there was unanimity in the decision to show solidarity and unity in front of the party high command in the best interests of the party.

The said meeting was held as per the directions of national president of the party, Sonia Gandhi, at the residence of former deputy chief minister, Dr G Parameshwar.

Sonia Gandhi, taking serious note of the fact that serious differences have cropped up between the 'original' Congressmen and 'outsiders', had asked Parameshwar to hold this meeting in order to arrive at a consensus on certain issues including nominating newpresident for Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. The meeting went on for a marathon three hours. It is said that when former union ministers, M Veerappa Moily and K H Muniyappa, passed allegations against Siddaramaiah, who is the leader of the Congress legislature party, the latter hit back.

Reportedly, Siddaramaiah vehemently opposed the proposal to bifurcate the posts of the leader of the Congress legislature party and leader of the opposition in the assembly, both of which he currently holds. He stood his ground and said that he has no objection if a new person is chosen in his place, but that both the posts should be held by a single person. The meeting therefore decided to continue him as the leader of the opposition in the best interests of the party.

Both Muniyappa and Hariprasad charged Siddaramaiah of being solely responsible for the ignominy the party suffered in both assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state. Angered by this charge, Siddaramaiah retaliated. It is said that veteran Congress leader, Mallikarjun Kharge, warned his fellow party men that if the party leaders fight among themselves, they will be digging their own graves politically. He said that there is a need to get rid of political factionalism and become united, duly adding that the leaders can remain strong only if the party is strong.

Shivakumar: Former minister, D K Shivakumar, who also attended the meeting, went out of the meeting abruptly. Parameshwar had mentioned the name of Shivakumar for the post of the president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, but M B Patil, Ishwar Khandre, and Satish Jarkiholi volunteered to become state party president. Angered by this, Shivakumar, who perhaps expected himself to get unanimous selection, said that whenever he gets an opportunity, he has been robbed of the posts even in the past. He said his name can be recommended to this post only if all the leaders support his candidature. He mentioned about the fact that he has survived politically in spite of income tax and enforcement directorate investigations, and left the meeting, duly telling the leaders that he had planned to visit a temple along with family members.