Internal Strife Hits Karnataka Congress: CM Siddaramaiah in Damage Control Mode

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting with disgruntled Congress MLAs B R Patil and Raju Kage amid allegations of bribery and ineffective governance. Their dissent has embarrassed the Congress, with opposition parties leveraging the turmoil to accuse the government of corruption and demand key resignations.

In a bid to quell internal unrest, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah convened a meeting with disgruntled Congress legislators B R Patil and Raju Kage on Wednesday. Their vocal grievances regarding alleged malpractices and administrative lapses have put the ruling party under a spotlight of scrutiny.

Patil has raised serious allegations of corruption in the distribution of public housing, while Kage cited bureaucratic inertia as a reason for contemplating resignation. In response, the opposition BJP and JD(S) have used these incidents as a lever to criticize the Congress government for pervasive corruption, even demanding the resignation of Siddaramaiah and the Housing Minister.

The meeting, attended by Housing Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, followed Siddaramaiah's strategic consultations in Delhi with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders. The Congress leadership reportedly urged the CM to address these internal issues swiftly to prevent public dissent from escalating further.

(With inputs from agencies.)