Infighting a 'permanent feature' of Congress, says Bihar BJP chief

Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Saraogi criticized Congress over the Karnataka leadership tussle, calling internal infighting a 'permanent feature' of the party that prevents it from retaining power, unlike the 'consistently re-elected' BJP governments.

Amid the leadership tussle in Karnataka, Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Saraogi on Wednesday took a swipe at Congress, claiming that internal infighting and factionalism have become a permanent feature of the party. Speaking to ANI, he said that the opposition party often fails to retain power due to internal conflicts.

"The Congress party's internal affairs--specifically, their constant internal squabbling and infighting--are a permanent feature of the party. That is why you may have observed that whenever the opposition, even by some fluke, manages to form a government, they rarely return to power," Saraogi said.

He further claimed that BJP governments continue to gain public support, while opposition parties are witnessing unrest and defections. "Conversely, our governments are consistently re-elected, and our vote share continues to rise. There is a state of panic and exodus across the entire opposition spectrum; you have recently witnessed this in Odisha and Assam. Indeed, a chaotic scramble is unfolding everywhere, even though there are good people in other parties as well," he added.

Congress Leadership Discusses Karnataka

The remarks come after a high-level Congress leadership discussion, which was held in New Delhi on Tuesday. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka incharge Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar were present at the meeting.

After the Delhi meeting, KC Venugopal dismissed reports of any leadership change, saying the discussions focused solely on the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections and Karnataka Legislative Council polls. He termed reports of a leadership reshuffle as "speculation" and said candidate announcements would be made alongside those for other states.

CM Post Speculation Persists

Speculation over the chief ministerial post in Karnataka has surfaced repeatedly since the Congress government completed two-and-a-half years in office. Supporters of DK Shivakumar have, at various points, publicly backed him for the top post, while some Congress workers have also rallied behind G Parameshwara, adding another layer to the internal political buzz.

Against this backdrop, the Siddaramaiah-Shivakumar meeting in Bengaluru is being viewed as politically significant, with party leaders and observers watching for any indication of the Congress leadership's next move in Karnataka. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)