NEW DELHI: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah lost his cool during a rally in Bengaluru on Tuesday after some youth Congress leaders started shouting slogans in favour of deputy CM DK Shivakumar before his address.As he rose from his chair and walked towards the podium, a section of party workers began shouting “DK, DK,” with the chants growing louder by the second.
Visibly irritated, Sidda snapped at the crowd and asked them to maintain silence, but his appeal went unheeded, prompting him to angrily demand to know who was raising the slogans.”Who are those shouting ‘DK, DK’,” an irked Siddaramaiah asked the Congress leaders.The situation forced the event’s compere to intervene, publicly warning Youth Congress leaders to stop interrupting the chief minister and listen quietly.”The Youth Congress leaders should keep quiet. The chief minister is addressing. We know who you are. Listen to the CM silently,” the compere said.Despite this, the disruptions continued even after Siddaramaiah began speaking, further aggravating him and briefly overshadowing the message of the protest. Siddaramaiah, accompanied by Shivakumar, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, as well as party ministers, MPs and legislators, joined the protest against the move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the new rural employment scheme, Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G).The Karnataka Congress continues to grapple with a simmering power tussle between CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy, DK Shivakumar, with the friction playing out both within the party and in public perception. Several Congress MLAs and MLCs are said to have openly lobbied in favour of Shivakumar, underscoring the factional pull he commands and adding to the undercurrent of unease within the ruling dispensation.Even as the rivalry persists, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar have repeatedly maintained that they will abide by the decision of the party high command. Siddaramaiah has sought to project confidence, asserting that he has the backing of the leadership and is certain of completing the full five-year term as chief minister, signalling his intent to shut down speculation over a possible leadership change.
