Siddaramaiah skips Rahul’s event, fuels Congress discord speculation

Siddaramaiah is believed to be displeased with the way the state government has dealt with the investigation into the sting operation.

Bengaluru: Fresh signs of unease within the Karnataka Congress have emerged after former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah skipped a Diwali friendship gathering hosted by Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Friday, November 6, despite being invited. His absence comes amid the controversy surrounding an alleged sting operation against him and has fuelled speculation about strained relations with the party high command.

Siddaramaiah is believed to be displeased with the way the state government has dealt with the investigation into the sting operation. He had reportedly expressed his concerns to Rahul Gandhi as well. His decision not to attend the Delhi event has prompted questions about whether he is indirectly conveying his displeasure to the central leadership.

Adding to the political debate, Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra Siddaramaiah claimed that the mobile network associated with the person behind the sting video had been traced to Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy‘s residence in Delhi. He said the police commissioner had mentioned the network connection and expressed confidence that those involved in recording and uploading the video would be caught.

The developments have coincided with comments from MLC Rajendra, son of former minister K.N. Rajanna, who expressed concern over the Congress losing support among AHINDA communities.

Rajendra alleged that the manner in which Siddaramaiah had been treated, particularly the discussions about removing him from the Chief Minister’s post, was pushing AHINDA voters away from the Congress. He urged the party leadership to take an early decision on the issue.

He also referred to Siddaramaiah’s meeting with Rahul Gandhi and said the political developments following the interaction would become clearer in the coming days.

Meanwhile, reports of differences between Siddaramaiah and senior minister H.C. Mahadevappa have added another dimension to the discussion over internal disagreements.

The latest developments suggest that the sting operation controversy has become more than a dispute over an investigation, bringing questions about leadership, party unity and the Congress’s AHINDA support base into sharper focus.