Reacting to the fresh leadership disagreement in Karnataka between Chief Minister
Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Congress president Mallikarjun
Kharge said on Sunday that the confusion exists only at the state level and not within
the party’s top leadership. He said the Congress high command should not be blamed for
the issue.
Speaking to reporters, Kharge said the central leadership had not created any confusion.
He added that problems within the Karnataka unit should be solved by the state leaders
Whatever happens in the state should be settled by the local leadership,” he said.
He also said it was unfair to blame the central leadership for internal differences.
Kharge also warned party leaders not to take personal credit for the Congress party’s
election victory in Karnataka. Stressing that the party works as a team, he said Congress
was built by its workers over many years.
Congress workers built it. Whoever the leader
is, the workers stand with them. This talk about who built the party and who did not
should stop,” he said.
Kharge’s comments come at a time when there is continued speculation about a power-sharing
arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar. There are also rumours of a possible
change in chief minister, as the Congress government completed half of its five-year
term last month.