Amid the alleged power tussle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka, with talks of leadership change once again coming to the fore, All India Congerss Committee general secretary in-charge of the state, Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday is said to have asked its leaders to follow "discipline", and asserted that party was more important.
At the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee general body meeting today, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, submitted to Surjewala, a consolidated report on the performance of 31 ministers in the state government, on the instructions from the AICC.
Siddaramaiah's comments at the meeting on Monday calling for a "sacrifice" also led to speculations linking it to CM post and a cabinet reshuffle on cards.
The report submitted to Surjewala contains information regarding the work done by the state ministers in managing their portfolios and their contribution towards the party organisation.
The submission of this report is seen as an indication towards the possible cabinet reshuffle in the days ahead, party sources said.
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah's comments at the meeting today, calling for a "sacrifice", amid talks about his tenure, has also led to speculations linking it to CM post and also a cabinet reshuffle being on the cards.
He said, "Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have sacrificed, and we should also make honest efforts to walk that path, as Congress alone can bring change in the society."
The KPCC meeting was held to review the preparations for the mega 'Jai Bapu, Jai Bhim, Jai Samvidhan' convention under the aegis of the AICC on January 21 in Belagavi, to commemorate the centenary celebrations of the 1924 Indian National Congress session, which was presided over by Mahatma Gandhi.
According to party sources, at the "closed-door meeting", Surjewala asked the party leaders to follow discipline, while highlighting that the party was important and no one was bigger than it.
He is also said to have told leaders and workers that indiscipline will not be tolerated while calling on everyone to unitedly work for building the organisation.
Later speaking to reporters, when asked about him highlighting that the party was more important than the government, Surjewala said, "It's always...that's the founding principle of Indian National Congress. The government is of the party, the party is never of the government. The party is the mother, the government is its child."
Regarding the consolidated report on the performance of the ministers submitted to him, he said, "We will go through it".
He however did not wish to comment on the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle.
Earlier in the day, Surjewala trying to downplay the alleged power tussle within the Congress had said the party's government was united and accused the opposition of "manufacturing stories" to attack it.
His stress on discipline to party leaders has come in the wake of several of its leaders, including ministers openly speaking to the media on the leadership change issue, with some indicating its possibility, while few others rejecting it.
Siddaramaiah's recent dinner with select Dalit and ST Cabinet colleagues at minister Satish Jarkiholi's residence, has created a buzz within the Congress, amid speculation about a possible change of guard in the state after the state budget in March, under a "rotational chief minister" or "power-sharing" formula.
Such an agreement was reportedly arrived upon in 2023, following the party's win, with both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar vying for the top post.
While Shivakumar and his supporters seem to be waiting for Siddaramaiah to step down as per the power-sharing formula, party sources said, the CM's followers are however said to be in no mood to accept the KPCC at the helm.
Minister KN Rajanna, who is close to Siddaramaiah had recently even told Shivakumar that he should become CM by successfully leading the party in the next elections, rather than aspiring for the top post in the incumbent government's remaining period of two and a half years.
Satish Jarkiholi, after the meeting said, Surjewala asked everyone to follow the party discipline.
Asked whether Surejewala's statement was directed at the dinner meetings by him and Ministers Parameshwara and Rajanna, he said, "It was not about meetings, he said no one is bigger than the party. Which is right. Our struggle is within the party, so it cannot be considered that his comments were directed at us."
Jarkiholi also said there was no link between reports on the performance of ministers and possible cabinet reshuffle, amid speculations that the report will be the yardstick.
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