Bengaluru: A birthday bash is giving the Congress in Karnataka a political headache. Supporters of Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, who is one of the chief ministerial faces of the Congress, are planning a grand show to celebrate their leader’s 75th birthday on August 3. This has not gone well with a large section of the Congressmen as they see the event as an effort to build a personality cult.
Siddaramaiah’s supporters want to drum up his political journey and contributions to the state as he had served as chief minister, deputy chief minister and leader of the opposition in the assembly and had presented a record 13 budgets as finance minister.
Justifying the celebrations, Siddaramaiah said it is a special occasion for his supporters. Organisers are planning to mobilise about five lakh people from all 224 assembly seats.
Malvalli Shivanna, KPCC general secretary and a confidante of the former chief minister, was quoted as saying: “Siddaramaiah is among the tallest icons of the socialist movement and his political career is marked with numerous achievements. We will relive his contribution to Karnataka in the name of ‘Siddaramaiah 75 Amrutamahotsava’. ”
However, rival camps led by KPCC president DK Shivakumar, veteran Mallikarjun Kharge and former KPCC president G Parameshwara are not amused. They see the mega-event as a show of strength to project Siddaramaiah as the CM candidate for the 2023 assembly elections.
To counter Siddaramaiah, supporters of Mallikarjun Kharge are planning to organise an event to mark the completion of his 50 years as an elected representative and celebrate his 80th birthday. Another Congress leader Parameshwara is reportedly planning to organise a Dalit convention across the state.
Rahul Gandhi is likely to attend Siddaramaiah’s birthday bash even as senior functionaries say the event could mar the party’s poll prospects.
“While the ground situation at present is favourable for Congress, individual-oriented events like a Siddaramaiah Utsava may spoil our chances,” a senior functionary was quoted in the media. “It may send the wrong signal about the state leadership apart from driving away sections of Vokkaligas, Lingayats and left sect of Dalits as they claim they got a raw deal during his regime from 2013-2018. ”
Reacting to the developments, president of the state Congress unit, DKS said he is against “personality cults” within the party. “I don’t endorse it. I have been saying that the party is paramount. Espousing this principle, I supported Siddaramaiah even when he kept me out of his cabinet in the beginning and backed him as the CLP leader even though we lost the assembly polls under his leadership in 2018. Now, his fans are organising his 75th birthday celebrations and I will take part in it, even though I celebrated my birthday in a simple manner at Kedarnath.”
