Disgruntled Congress MLAs in Karnataka meet Siddaramaiah

BENGALURU: Amidst growing rebellion in the State Congress, Minister for Municipal Administration Ramesh Jarkiholi met former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party Leader Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru on Monday evening.

In the meeting that lasted for over an hour, Ramesh apparently insisted that the demands of Jarkiholi brothers should be discussed before AICC President Rahul Gandhi. For the past few days Ramesh Jarkiholi and his brother Satish Jarkiholi, legislatures from Belagavi district, have expressed their discontent over the functioning of JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka. They have even said that they are not responsible if some Congress MLAs desert the party. There are rumours about some of the MLAs from Congress-JD(S) coalition planning to resign tomorrow (Tuesday).

The major demand of Jarkiholi brothers before the high command has been to discipline Congress leader D K Shivakumar for his increasing interference in Belagavi politics. The duo has also urged the party leaders to give tickets to their people in the upcoming legislative council election and to appoint their men as heads of corporations and boards.


While Congress leader Siddaramaiah was away for 10 days on a Europe tour, rift within some leaders of the Congress grew. This was the first meeting Siddaramaiah had with Jarkiholi brothers after his return from the tour on Sunday. Earlier in the day, before heading to the meeting at Siddaramaiah’s home, Ramesh Jarkiholi told media that he was only going to meet the former chief minister to wish him on his return from the tour. Some of the disgruntled MLAs including Dr D Sudhakar too met Siddaramaiah on Monday. The party's top leaders in the State have pinned their hope on Siddaramaiah to resolve the crisis.

A Congress leader confirmed ET that a delegation led by Siddaramaiah and KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao will head to Delhi on Tuesday to meet the party high command. “The agenda is to discuss the selection of candidates for MLC election and it has nothing to do with differences of opinion in the party,” a Congress leader said.