Karnataka Congress working president Dhruvanarayana, 61, dies after 'chest pain'

Bengaluru, May 23: The tussle between Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D.K. Shivakumar over the power-sharing formula has come to the fore in the very first week after the formation of the government. When asked about the row, Shivakumar on Tuesday curtly asked the media not to disturb him.

"Don't disturb me," said Shivakumar as he looked disturbed and maintained a distance from media persons.

Minister M.B. Patil on Monday said that Siddaramaiah will complete the five-year tenure. "There are no talks about power-sharing and Siddaramaiah will remain the CM for the full term," he stated stirring a controversy.

When his statements triggered speculation in the political corridors, on Tuesday Patil maintained that he had not made any personal comments over the issue. "I have reiterated what senior leaders announced in the press conference," he said.

Sources explained that Shuivakumar is upset over the remarks and his media statement 'don't disturb me' was aimed at M.B. Patil.

When asked about power-sharing between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal had remarked that power was being given to the people of Karnataka. The high command has not given clarity about the issue so far.

The party seniors are unhappy about the development and feel that Patil's statement at this stage was unnecessary.

There was a cold war between Patil and Shivakumar when the former was inducted in Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet in 2013 and Shivakumar was kept out. Patil is equally resourceful as Shivakumar is and is considered to be the blue-eyed boy of Siddaramaiah.

Patil and Siddaramaiah made a failed attempt to create a separate religion category for Lingayats in the 2018 Assembly elections. Shivakumar had then tendered an unconditional apology to Lingayats repeatedly, much to the chagrin of Patil.

Patil had questioned Shivakumar on this and had raised questions on his right to seek apology. Patil further attacked Shivakumar that he had destroyed Congress in south Karnataka. The Congress party has taken a toll due to his egoistic demeanor and body language. He had also called Shivakumar tainted and maintained that in the 2018 elections this could also have worked against the Congress party.

Now, in the latest episode, Shivakumar has not reacted to his statements. However, sources said that he is preparing a parallel Lingayat leadership against Patil. Various Lingayat groups have already objected to preference being given to Patil, who represents a small sub-caste, over sub castes with larger populations.

Priyank Kharge, a cabinet minister, while reacting over Patil's statement, explained that the statements on power-sharing by Patil were irrelevant. "No one knows the details of the discussion between them. It is known only to CM Siddaramaiah, DyCM D.K. Shivakumar, Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal," he said.

The legislature party meeting did not discuss power-sharing. "I don't know what information M.B. Patil has it. I can tell what I know," Kharge said.

Bengaluru, May 13: Putting up a united front and making corruption a central theme of its campaign coupled with pre-poll 'guarantees' of free power and rice and unemployment dole did the trick for Congress in defeating the BJP, which was weighed down by anti-incumbency.

In addition, the Muslim vote, which accounted for nearly 13 per cent of the electorate, consolidated in favour of the party, Congress sources said.

The Congress has promised to implement poll ‘guarantees’ — 200 units of free power to all households (Gruha Jyoti), Rs 2,000 monthly assistance to the woman head of every family (Gruha Lakshmi), 10 kg of rice free to every member of a BPL household (Anna Bhagya), Rs 3,000 every month for graduate youth and Rs 1,500 for diploma holders (both in the age group of 18-25) for two years (YuvaNidhi), and free travel for women in public transport buses (Shakti - on the very first day after coming to power in the state.

The Congress successfully wresting power in Karnataka after Himachal Pradesh will be a morale booster for the party in reviving its electoral fortunes and strengthening its credentials as the main opposition player against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"I think this election is crucial. This result is the stepping stone for the party in the Lok Sabha election in 2024 .... I also hope that Rahul Gandhi becomes the prime minister of this country," party stalwart and former chief minister Siddaramaiah said.

With the win in Karnataka, the Congress has also bounced back after the recent losses in the Northeastern states and it will give the momentum needed to take on the battle-ready election machinery of the BJP later this year in the Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.

The Congress, by and large, focused on local issues in this election and its campaign also was run by state leaders initially. However, its central leaders such as party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra pitched in subsequently.

The Congress entered the campaign with the challenge of keeping at bay the factionalism, especially between the camps of its two chief ministerial aspirants -- Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar -- who were often seen to be engaging in political one-upmanship, but succeeded in putting up a united front and ensured that no rift came out in the open and derailed its prospects.

Newsroom, May 20: The freshly sworn-in Karnataka Cabinet on Saturday had its first meeting, post which the Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, announced the approval of poll promises made by the Congress.

"Five guarantees in the manifesto were promised and the order for the implementation of those five guarantees was given after the first Cabinet meeting. All will be in force after next cabinet meeting which will be called within a week," Siddaramaiah told reporters during a press conference in the Vidhan Soudha.

During the campaign for the Karnataka Assembly elections - which the Congress won by a landslide, bagging 136 seats - the party had made five guarantees to the people.

Here are the five schemes announced by the Congress in its election manifesto:

Gruha Jyothi
This scheme assures 200 units of free electricity per month for every household in the state.

Gruha Lakshmi
This scheme aims to provide Rs 2,000 every month to the woman head of a house.

Anna Bhagya
10 kg of free rice will be provided to Below Poverty Line (BPL) card holders per month.

Yuva Nidhi
The scheme promises Rs 3,000 to graduate unemployed youth and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders of this year maximum of up to two years.

Sakshi scheme
It aims to provide free bus passes for women in Karnataka to travel across the state.

These five guarantees were given in-principal approval the same day as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his Cabinet took oath in the state capital.

Prior to the Cabinet meeting, Siddaramaiah announced that his government would fulfill the election guarantees they made.

"We will give an administration which people have expected from us. Five guarantees will be passed in the cabinet meeting and an order will be issued to implement them today itself," Siddaramaiah said soon after taking oath as the Chief Minister.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the five 'guarantees' promised by the party before the elections in Karnataka would be implemented within a few hours after the first Cabinet meeting.

"I had said we don't make false promises. We do what we say. The first cabinet meeting of the new government will take place in one to two hours. In that meeting, all the five 'guarantees' will become a law," Gandhi said after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's swearing-in ceremony.

In the May 10 Assembly elections, the Congress ousted the BJP from power, winning 135 seats in the 224-member Assembly. BJP got 66 seats and the Janata Dal (Secular) headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda managed only 19.