Hubballi, 22 Nov

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Saturday claimed that “horse trading” of Congress MLAs is underway in Karnataka amid the alleged power tussle between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar.

He also claimed Shivakumar’s visit to jailed MLAs Vinay Kulkarni and KC Veerendra, also known as Puppy, in Bengaluru Central Prison was aimed at securing their support.

“There is infighting in Congress. Siddaramaiah does not want to leave the CM’s position, and Shivakumar does not want Siddaramaiah to continue as CM,” Joshi told reporters in Hubballi. “Because of such a situation, both the camps are trying to purchase MLAs. You might have seen that Shivakumar has gone to jail to meet the MLAs to seek their support and pay whatever their price is.”

The administration “has collapsed due to the ongoing power tussle,” he said. “The State is witnessing misadministration as there is no one to address issues arising from excess rains and poor road infrastructure,” the Union Minister claimed.

He also criticised Bengaluru police, once on par with Delhi and Mumbai, saying “daylight robberies are now common”, without elaborating.

Separately, BJP MLC H Vishwanath on Saturday said that development works in the State were at a standstill because Congress officials were focusing on the alleged power tussle.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Working President (KPCC) and MLA Tanveer Sait announced that the party's high command will resolve the ongoing power-sharing issue within two days.

Sait expressed disappointment that the High Command had not clarified its position on this matter earlier, particularly after two and a half years of governance in the State. “If High Command leaders had clarified their stance earlier, it wouldn’t have dragged on,” he remarked.

Sait dismissed rumours about a seat-sharing agreement, saying MLAs were not consulted. “Nobody knows who has given promises to whom,” he added.

He acknowledged that the delay has reached a critical stage but remained optimistic, stating, “The High Command will clarify the issue in one or two days and announce its decisions, including a potential cabinet reshuffle.” He dismissed concerns that these internal matters would damage the party’s image.