Bengaluru, July 25
As assembly elections are nearing, the infighting within Congress is showing no signs of receding. Even after a warning by State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar, statements regarding the chief minister post continued to surface in Karnataka. Ruling BJP has slammed the development that there is no control of the party on anyone in the state.
Minister for Revenue R. Ashok stated on Monday that, MLA (Zameer Ahmad Khan) is challenging the State Congress President Shivakumar. "He is saying that he will not stop talking until he is alive. What does it mean? Neither the Congress high command nor the State President have control over things in Karnataka," he said.
The Minister further charged that Congress leaders are involved in public spat. "Like how statements of Navjot Singh Sidhu split Congress party in Punjab, the statements of rival camps are going to prove disastrous for Congress in Karnataka," he said.
"It is not good for Shivakumar to bring in the Vokkaliga community to fulfil his ambition of becoming the chief minister. The Vokkaliga community is a community with honour. MLA Zameer Ahmad Khan and Shivakumar should not drag the name of community for their interests and infighting, Ashok stated.
"Leaders should talk with caution when they speak about the Vokkaliga community," he underlined.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr K Sudhakar condemning the infighting of Congress stated that no one can become chief minister with the support of one community.
BJP vice-president B.Y. Vijayendra stated that Congress infighting has become a joke and leaders have become a laughing stock among the public. "People know what is happening. The infighting in Congress definitely helped BJP. But, ruling BJP does not want to come to power because of the infighting of Congress," he said.
However, Lingayat seer Kumareshwara on Monday stated that the state would see the chief minister who would represent communal harmony in the form of Congress MLA Zameer Ahmad Khan in the coming days taking the infighting of Congress to another level.
Reacting to Shivakumar's appeal for dominant Vokkaliga community to back him as the chief minister candidate, Zameer Ahmad Khan, a close associate of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, had stated that Muslim community has more numbers and powerful than Vokkaliga community in the state. He further stated that, in that case, he can also become the chief minister.
Shivakumar issued a warning later. MLA Zameer Ahmad stated that there is nothing wrong in his statement and no one can ask him to stop and he will express himself until he is alive.
According to sources, the infighting in Congress is only going to be escalated as Siddaramaiah camp is ready to celebrate his 75th birthday on August 12 grandly and proclaim him as the mass leader of Congress party and chief minster candidate. Shivakumar camp is seething with anger and forcing the leadership to initiate action against MLA Zameer Ahmad Khan who is challenging Shivakumar.
The Congress high command is in a dilemma over initiating action on any leader as it thinks it would prove detrimental to the chances of attaining power in Karnataka assembly elections which will be held in less than 10 months, sources explain.
