The rift within the JDS-Congress alliance seems to have widened as former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah recently expressed his wishes to become the chief minister again. The speculations increased when Karnataka Agriculture Minister Shivashankar Reddy told the reporters yesterday that if the Congress and JDS sit together and take some decision regarding change, Siddaramaiah could again become the chief minister as they (Congress) had fought election under his leadership.
Reddy’s remarks come just a few days after Siddaramaiah had said that if people wish, he will become chief minister again which had raised doubts about the longetivity of the already turbulent JDS-Congress alliance in the state. Congress MLA from Basavakalyan, B Narayan, too backed Siddaramaiah’s chief ministership and said that the possibility of him becoming the chief minister is ‘as truthful as the rise of the Sun in the east’. B Narayan also ‘cautioned’ chief minister Kumaraswamy that he should know that he is running a coalition government on Congress’ shoulders as JDS only has 37 MLAs while Congress has 80.
Kumaraswamy reportedly admitted that he is aware of efforts being made to destabilise his government but ‘it would not work’. Meanwhile, the central leadership in Congress is keeping a close watch on the developments to ensure the coalition is not weakened as it is trying hard to portray a strong anti-BJP stand for the upcoming 2019 elections. Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad reportedly even reached out to JDS leaders including Kumaraswamy and assured stability of government.
Earlier, Kumaraswamy broke down saying he is swallowing the poison and had accused certain Congress leaders of ‘tormenting’ him. The ‘opportunistic alliance’ between the Congress and JD(S) in its craving to form the government in Karnataka, which was evidently nothing but a compromise, seems to be constantly grappling to accommodate each other.
