The ruling Congress in Karnataka is led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar
- Randeep Singh Surjewala will visit Bengaluru for two days to address Congress's internal strife
- Surjewala's visit follows meetings between Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, and disgruntled Congress MLAs
- MLAs raised issues of corruption in housing and a collapsed administration within the government
Amid growing talks of a major political churn and public criticism from within its own ranks, the Congress's leadership is set to launch the second round of damage control in Karnataka.
Senior leader and Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala will arrive in Bengaluru tomorrow for a two-day visit aimed at addressing concerns within the party.
Mr Surjewala's visit follows a series of meetings earlier this week, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar met with disgruntled Congress MLAs who had levelled allegations against their own government.
While BR Patil had spoken about rampant corruption in the housing department, MLA Raju Kage had raised the issue of a collapsed administration, among others.
During his visit, Mr Surjewala is expected to hold one-on-one meetings with a few of these leaders whose recent public statements have embarrassed the party and raised questions about unity within the Karnataka Congress.
Mr Surjewala is also likely to address the growing chatter around a possible leadership change in the state. He may issue a stern message asking Congress leaders to refrain from making public statements on the matter.
Congress MLA HA Iqbal Hussain alluded to a high possibility of a change in the state's top leadership.
"This is something that the high command has in mind," Mr Hussain said.
"When the time is right, the high command will give an opportunity to DK Shivakumar. It is likely to happen this year. All leaders are talking about a big political churn. I am telling this straight, not beating around the bush, that in two to three months a decision will come," the Congress MLA said.
The remarks by the Congress MLAs over alleged corruption in the housing department and the "complete collapse" of the administration have embarrassed the ruling party, with the opposition BJP and Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S), using the opportunity to accuse the government of corruption.
The opposition parties demanded the resignation of Siddaramaiah and state Housing Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan.
Siddaramaiah met both Mr Patil and Mr Kage on Wednesday after returning from Delhi and reportedly assured them that their concerns would be addressed.
