Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Tuesday refuted the claims terming the dismissal of CM Siddaramaiah's petition in the alleged MUDA scam a “setback”. The deputy has alleged a “big conspiracy on all our leaders, including me”.
This comes after the Karnataka High Court dismissed CM Siddaramaiah's petition challenging Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot's approval for an investigation against him in a site allotment case. The court said that the order of sanction for prosecution does not suffer from “non-application of mind” by the Governor.
Talking to media reporters, Shivakumar said, “I am telling you again, there is no setback to the CM. It is a big conspiracy on all our leaders, including me which we have faced earlier.”
Showing faith in the judicial system of India, Shivakumar said, “Didn't I come out clean?... So, we will fight it out. We respect the legal system of this country. Injustice will not be flown from the seat of justice. We will get justice.”
Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge also alleged that the Governor's office is being misused, while also slamming the BJP. He said the saffron party has no right to comment on Siddaramaiah when their own leaders have pending cases against them.
“The BJP can say whatever they want, but I would love to hear their comments on Yediyurappa's POCSO case and Munirathna's pending case. If they have any moral right, let them sort out their own issues first, comment on these matters, and then come to CM Siddaramaiah,” he said.
“We have been saying that the Governor’s office is being misused and is acting like a station house officer for the BJP. We will fight this out in the people’s court and the Supreme Court. We believe in the law of the land and will ensure that justice is delivered sooner or later,” Kharge added.
In the MUDA site allotment case, it is alleged that compensatory sites were improperly allotted to Siddaramaiah's wife, BM Parvathi, in a high-value area of Mysuru.
When Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar agreed to set aside their differences and form the government in May 2023, the latter’s camp claimed that the Congress party's high command had agreed to a term-sharing formula of two and a half years between them. This, it said, paved the way for the consensus to emerge.
However, now, if Siddaramaiah’s position is jeopardised because of his legal troubles, will Shivakumar see it as his turn at the helm of the state?
If he does, the Congress high command will have another high-wire act to perform. Any forced leadership change will also likely backfire as it will alienate Backward Class voters, Siddaramaiah’s core voter base.
Last month, as Siddaramaiah moved to court against the Governor, the Congress decided to close ranks behind him and go offensive against Gehlot.
The party was able to do that, but will things remain the same if Siddaramaiah’s position weakens after the ruling? Most importantly, what will his rival and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who has publicly thrown his weight behind him, do?
There have already been some signs that may worry the Congress leadership.
Several of Siddaramaiah’s loyalists recently turned heads as they said they were ready to step into the CM’s shoes if he had to step away because of his legal problems.
According to the CM’s detractors within the party, this is a strategy to keep Shivakumar at bay by propping us as many claimants for the top job as possible.
