Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (MS)

Bengaluru, Sep 26: Though the state assembly elections are still two years away, tussle has already begun among leaders in the state Congress hailing from influential communities to grab the coveted nomination for chief minister's position.

According to reports in a section of the media, leaders from Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities in the Congress are resorting to caste politics.

At one end, there is a rousing demand for a chief ministerial candidate from the Dalit community. At the other end, MLAs of Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities are holding their own meetings to discuss caste representation. On the face of it, it looks like the party is being organized. But it is said that the internal discussions are entirely different.

It is learnt that the main agenda of such caste-based meetings of MLAs of Congress is centred around candidature for the CM position if the party wins the 2023 assembly elections. It seems D K Shivakumar is leading the Vokkaliga MLAs while M B Patil and Shyamanoor Shivashankarappa are captaining the Lingayat faction.

After Dalits, BCMs, Vokkaligas and Lingayats, thought is also being given to hold a meeting of MLAs from the minority community to demand preference to them. It is said that many minority MLAs including Tanveer Sait are about to convey to Congress high command that leaders like C M Ibrahim was on the verge of joining JD(S) because of neglect shown to minority leaders.

Earlier, when D K Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah were at loggerheads the Congress high command had pacified them. A leader of the party says that the present development will create disappointment among the party workers.

Group politics within the party has started, reportedly involving Dr G Parameshwar, Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah, D K Shivakumar and M B Patil.