BENGALURU: The decision by supporters to celebrate former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s 75th birthday on August 3 is a grand manner with a mega function in Davanagere has not gone down well with a section of the Congress.
These groups, which had successfully scuttled Siddaramaiah’s plans to relaunch the Ahinda movement recently, want the high command to intervene and tone down celebrations as they feel it will send the wrong signal.
Siddaramaiah’s supporters want to use the occasion to highlight his political journey and contributions to the state, pointing out that he has served as chief minister, deputy chief minister and leader of the opposition in the assembly and has presented a record 13 budgets as finance minister.
While he has reiterated that his birthday has not been officially recorded, Siddaramaiah justified the celebration, saying it is a special occasion for his supporters. Organisers are planning to mobilise about five lakh people from all 224 assembly seats.
Malvalli Shivanna, KPCC general secretary and a confidante of the former chief minister, said: “Siddaramaiah is among the tallest icons ofthe socialist movement and his political career is marked with numerous achievements. We will relive his contribution to Karnataka in the name of ‘Siddaramaiah 75 Amrutamahotsava’. ”
But rival camps led by KPCC president DK Shivakumar, veteran Mallikarjun Kharge and former KPCC president G Parameshwara are restive as they see the event as a show of strength to project Siddaramaiah as the CM candidate for the 2023 assembly elections.
In fact, supporters of Mallikarjun Kharge are planning to organise an event to mark the completion of his 50 years as an elected representative and celebrate his 80th birthday, while Parameshwara is reportedly planning to organise a Dalit convention across the state.
“Some academicianslike Sukhdeo Thorat are planning an event to mark the 50th year of Mallikarjun Kharge’s political journey as an elected representative, but nothing has been finalised yet,” said Congress legislator Priyank Kharge.
While Rahul Gandhi has indicated that he may attend Siddaramaiah’s birthday bash, senior functionaries say the event could mar the party’s poll prospects.
“While the ground situation at present is favourable for Congress, individual-oriented events like a Siddaramaiah Utsava may spoil our chances,” said a senior functionary. “It may send the wrong signal about the state leadership apart from driving away sections of Vokkaligas, Lingayats and left sect of Dalits as they claim they got a raw deal during his regime from 2013-2018. ”
