Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah quells reports of rift within Congress: ‘No internal dispute in party’
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on June 27 dismissed remarks made by minister KN Rajanna suggesting possible political changes in the state, saying it is better to ignore such statements.
Siddaramaiah clarified that Rajanna only mentioned there may be developments, not that anything specific would happen.
“There is no internal dispute in the party. Minister KN Rajanna has said that there may be developments in state politics. He said that he did not say that something like this would happen. It would be better to ignore his statement,” Siddaramaiah said, speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha on Friday.
On the 516th birth anniversary of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar garlanded the statue of Kempegowda. The Chief Minister called Kempegowda a visionary and the founder of modern Bengaluru.
Karnataka’s ruling Congress party is reportedly grappling with resentment among its legislators amid allegations of bribery and administrative failures. On July 25, however, Home Minister G Parameshwara expressed confidence that CM Siddaramaiah would engage with disgruntled MLAs to resolve their grievances, according to aPTI report.
Congress MLAs, including Raju Kage from Kagwad and BR Patil from Aland, have publicly criticised the government, citing delays in developmental work, stalled fund releases, and corruption in public housing allotments.
Responding to these developments, Home Minister Parameshwara stated that the concerns raised were primarily constituency-related and assured that the Chief Minister would address them.
He highlighted that all MLAs have been instructed to prepare action plans for development works worth ₹50 crore in their constituencies, with funds promised even to opposition legislators.
Far-sighted administrator
The political storm has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition BJP, with senior leaders alleging widespread corruption and predicting defections from Congress ranks.
There is no internal dispute in the party. It would be better to ignore [Rajanna’s] statement.
Speaking after garlanding Kempegowda’s statue located on the eastern side of Vidhana Soudha, the Chief Minister said, “Kempegowda was an efficient and far-sighted administrator. The global recognition that Bengaluru enjoys today is because it laid its foundation.”
The state government, the Kempegowda Development Authority, and the BBMP are jointly celebrating the birth anniversary.
Siddaramaiah said that during his previous term as Chief Minister from 2013 to 2018, his government had identified the exact date of Kempegowda’s birth in consultation with Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji. Following this, the state has been observing Kempegowda Jayanti annually.
