The power struggle in the Congress over the post of the Chief Minister has now spilled over to the Vokkaliga turf. While the statement of former Minister and Chamarajpet MLA B.Z. Zameer Ahmed Khan on Vokkaligas has riled many, Congress seems to be in damage control mode.
In a series of developments, former Minister and Congress leader from Mandya N. Cheluvarayaswamy met KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar along with former Magadi MLA Balakrishna to hold discussions on the fallout for the Congress in the Vokkaliga heartland.
Mr. Zameer’s episode is the latest of the intense power struggle between former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Mr. Shivakumar for the Chief Minister’s post if Congress crosses the majority mark in the ensuing Assembly elections. Referring to an earlier appeal by Mr. Shivakumar to the Vokkaliga community to back him in the elections, Mr. Khan had wanted Mr. Siddaramaiah to be the next Chief Minister, and had commented on the Vokkaliga community.
Congress sources said that Adichunchangiri Mutt seer Sri Nirmalanandanatha Swami has taken exception to the statement of Mr. Khan and has conveyed the same to Vokkaliga leaders across Congress, BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) following which the Congress leader met Mr. Shivakumar at his residence in the wee hours of Sunday.
“Nobody speaks like this about the Vokkaliga community. Mr. Khan is my good friend and I have personally told him a couple of times in the past not to speak like this. Speaking specifically about the Vokkaliga community was not good and he should not continue. Only he has to say if he is speaking with an agenda,” Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy told reporters. “He was not like this before.”
Also, several senior leaders in the Congress, mostly those who identify themselves as “original Congressmen” also huddled to discuss the issue and are likely to press for action against Mr. Khan, who is now seen as a leader bringing trouble to the party with his off the cuff utterances. While Mr. Khan, who has identified himself in the camp of Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah, could be issued notice, no big action is likely since that can send a wrong message to the Muslim community, sources said.
Meanwhile, wading into the Congress’s troubled waters, Revenue Minister R. Ashok on Sunday said that the Vokkaliga community is not ‘cheap’ to be used for political wrongs. “What is happening now between Mr. Shivakumar and Mr. Khan is not right. Over the last one week, Vokkaligas are being insulted and Congress should stop this. I am warning those speaking about Vokkaligas to mind their language,” he said, adding that the community seers have expressed hurt over the Congress leaders bringing down the community to streets.
The BJP’s Vokkaliga leader predicted: “BJP would benefit from the fight between Mr. Shivakumar and JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy, who consider the Vokkaliga community as theirs. Is it possible to become a Chief Minister based on community,” he asked.
The BJP general secretary C.T. Ravi said that everyone cannot become Chief Minister.
Taking a dig at Mr. Shivakumar in Ramanagaram, Janata Dal (Secular) leader and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said that it is not enough to aspire to become the Chief Minister, but the community has to be told how the people would be benefitted.
