Cracks surface in Karnataka Congress over Krishna’s return

Former Chief Minister S M Krishna’s impending return to Karnataka politics in the wake of his recent resignation as Governor of Maharashtra, has created fissures in the State Congress circles with a section of senior party leaders meting out a cold treatment to grand road show planned by his supporters.

Soon after Krishna submitted his resignation as Governor of Maharashtra on Wednesday and announced his return to active politics in election-bound Karnataka, his close aides led by former Minister D K Shivakumar began chalking out plans to accord him a grand reception at Belgaum on the state’s border with Maharashtra.

The reception at Belgaum was scheduled to be followed up with a road show that passes through various parts of the state before concluding in Bangalore.

But, a host of senior party leaders including Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President M Mallikarjun Kharge have decided to keep off the show on the grounds that it is not a party function.

Though most senior party leaders in Karnataka welcomed Krishna’s return to his native state and party workers across the state burst crackers to celebrate the development, Kharge had sought to downplay the matter. “There is no need to attach much significance to Krishna’s return. He is only returning to Karnataka, which is his native, as per the party High Command’s directive”, Kharge had told reporters.

The Congress High Command’s move to appoint Krishna as the Chairman of Congress party Co-ordination Committee to work out an election strategy for the impending assembly polls in Karnataka, appears to have not gone down well with the old guard in the party.

For, the position is of the rank of an All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary and gives Krishna a pivotal position in the poll-bound state.

Despite the cold shoulder given to Krishna by a section of the Congress leaders, his supporters are jubilant over his return to Karnataka.

According to a tentative programme finalized by Krishna’s supporters in the Congress, a grand reception will be given to him at Belgaum where he is scheduled to arrive on March 14. After the reception and a public meeting, the road show will commence and proceed to Hubli. After an overnight halt, the cavalcade will roll into Haveri followed by Davangere, Chitradurga and Tumkur before arriving in Bangalore after a 600 km long journey.