Siddaramaiah camp to take 27 MLAs abroad 'to counter DKS push for CLP meeting'

Last week, 17 legislators had sought a no-objection certificate from the legislative assembly secretariat for a family trip to the two countries, with the number now rising to 27.Even as the legislators insist that the trip is a break from routine work, party insiders say the trip has clear political undertones. It is being viewed as a move to blunt DK Shivakumar’s push to convene a Congress Legislature Party meeting later this month to press for a power transition.After his Delhi visit last week, DCM is said to have stepped up pressure on party leadership to honour the unwritten power-sharing pact under which Siddaramaiah is expected to hand over the CM post to him.Keen to see the transition completed before the budget session begins on March 6, he has been reaching out to MLAs to mobilise support and is said to be planning a CLP meeting to decide on leadership.The CM camp is said to have devised a counter-strategy by sending select MLAs on the foreign tour, with their return scheduled for March 3. This is not in the interest of the party, especially when we are to face a series of elections including assembly by polls and local bodies election leading up to the 2028 state elections,” KPCC vice-president BL Shankar said.Earlier reports suggested that the foreign trips were to be sponsored by the animal husbandry department under minister K Venkatesh, with urban development minister Byrathi Suresh sponsoring another batch.

Author: TNN

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