Siddaramaiah held 'Sadhana Samavesha' to threaten Congress high command: Karnataka BJP chief

Kalaburagi (Karnataka) [India], July 19 (ANI): Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra on Saturday alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held the 'Sadhana Samavesha' rally in Mysuru in order to threaten the Congress high command.
"Whenever the Chief Minister's chair feels shaky, whenever instability sets in, he (Siddaramaiah) holds rallies," Vijayendra told reporters here.
"Siddaramaiah puts Ahinda (a Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes, and Dalits) communities forward in order to maintain his political existence," he added.
The BJP state chief criticised Siddaramaiah for "exploiting" certain communities for political gain and using manipulative tactics to pressure the Congress high command. He claimed that Siddaramaiah's two-and-a-half-year tenure as Chief Minister has been devoid of any significant achievements.
"Had Siddaramaiah performed effectively as Chief Minister, AICC state in-charge Surjewala would not have needed to repeatedly visit Bengaluru to address discontent among MLAs. Surjewala's frequent visits indicate an effort to gauge the MLAs' dissatisfaction and assess their stance in case of a leadership change," Vijayendra said.
He alleged that Siddaramaiah is pressuring the high command by organising such meetings, exploiting the uncertainty surrounding the Chief Minister's position.
"A fierce competition for the Chief Minister's post has erupted within the Congress, with accusations of horse-trading already underway," he said.
He criticised the government for failing to deliver any notable development or achievements.
"Siddaramaiah, during his visit to Delhi, directly challenged the Congress high command by asserting his five-year tenure as Chief Minister. However, Rahul Gandhi did not even grant him a meeting--an indication of internal discord within the party. Meanwhile, Congress MLAs are divided, with some supporting Siddaramaiah and others backing DK Shivakumar," he said.
Responding to questions about the state government issuing tax notices to small traders, he stated that party leaders had discussed the matter. He accused the Siddaramaiah-led government of failing to secure funds for its guarantee schemes and instead intimidating street vendors with tax demands.
"While it is true that GST revenue goes to the central government, no other state in the country has resorted to such measures. Instead of allocating funds for development, the Karnataka government is allegedly harassing small traders and street vendors under the Chief Minister's orders," he said. (ANI)
When asked about MLA Bairati Basavaraju being named as an accused in a murder case involving a rowdy sheeter, he accused the ruling Congress party of systematically targeting BJP MLAs over the past two years.
He cited examples such as the FIR against BJP MLA Harish Poonja in Dakshina Kannada and the attempted arrest that was thwarted, followed by another FIR against Bharat Shetty. He claimed these actions were deliberate attempts to intimidate opposition MLAs. (ANI)