Rahul to attend Siddaramaiah birthday bash Aug 3, stress unity ahead of 2023 Karnataka polls

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Karnataka on August 3 to attend the birthday celebrations of former CM K Siddaramaiah who is organising a big show of strength on that day, writes Amit Agnihotri

New Delhi:Rahul Gandhi is in no mood to disrupt the momentum in favour of the Congress ahead of the crucial 2023 Karnataka assembly polls and is likely to stress on unity and collective leadership when he visits the state on August 3. On that day, also his birthday, former chief minister K Siddaramaiah is organizing a big show of strength to support his claim for the post of the chief minister.

This is natural for leaders of his stature but the problem is that state unit chief DK Shivkumar too has similar dreams and has made them public of late. Party strategists, who recently got a leg up over positive feedback on the Congress' prospects in the next assembly polls, fear that the rivalry between the two Karnataka stalwarts could spell trouble for the opposition party.

They also fear that Rahul’s visit to Davangere, where Siddaramaiah is hosting a mega rally on August 3, could cause anxiety in the Shivkumar camp. “Rahulji had made his plans clear to both Shivkumar and Siddaramaiah when he had called the two leaders to Delhi last month. Rahulji is likely to reiterate his message on August 3. The party will go to the polls with collective leadership.

The two leaders have to sort out the issues amongst themselves. It is up to them to keep up the spirit of unity,” a senior AICC functionary said on condition of anonymity. He said that Rahul had agreed to attend the birthday program on Siddaramaiah’s personal invitation and the plan is unlikely to be changed as suitable arrangements have been made in Davangere.

On the one hand, the August 3 B-Day bash is being seen within the party circles as an attempt by Siddaramaiah, who belongs to the backward Kuruba community and is known as a mass leader and an able administrator, to showcase his public support. Siddaramaiah was chief minister from 2013-18. On the other hand, Shivkumar, known as a solid organisation person who belongs to the influential Vokkaliga community, has been trying to woo his caste group by projecting his chief ministerial ambitions.

“The former chief minister’s show will focus on the achievements during his tenure and the work done by the previous UPA government at the Centre,” said a senior state leader. The Shivkumar-Siddaramaiah shadow-boxing had even compelled state veteran and the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge recently to point out that such contrasting claims were not good for the party in a poll year.

Interestingly, AICC in charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala had recently warned MLA BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan, considered close to Siddaramaiah, over his controversial remarks that “Muslims in the state outnumbered the dominant Vokkaligas”, saying that such remarks were uncalled for, unwarranted and against the Congress ethos. That message was meant for more than one person, said party insiders.