Bengaluru, April 1 BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai said on Wednesday that the ongoing power struggle within the ruling Congress in Karnataka is on a "temporary pause" due to by-elections, and claimed that the state is headed towards a "political battle" for the Chief Minister's position in May.
Alleging that corruption was rampant in the state, he said there appears to be a competition within the government over who can "exploit" the situation more.
The former Chief Minister made the remarks during a campaign for BJP candidate Srinivas T Dasakariyappa in the Davanagere South by-elections.
"Siddaramaiah says his government is politically stable. However, if you look at the newspapers, there are daily reports about the CM and Deputy CM. One says that he won't step down, while the other says he will certainly take over," Bommai said.
Addressing the gathering, he said, "There is a daily battle for the position (Chief Minister's position). Since the elections have been announced, there is a temporary break. In May, as is said in North Karnataka, there will be a 'Jangi Nikali Kusti' for the position in Karnataka."
"Jangi Nikali Kusti means wrestling where one person remains standing and the other does not. There will be a political Jangi Nikali Kusti in the state," he added.
Bommai's statement came a day after CM Siddaramaiah asserted that the Congress government will remain in power for two more years, and that he will be the Chief Minister of the state.
The leadership struggle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculation about a possible change of chief minister after the Congress government completes its halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, 2025.
The speculation has been fueled by the reported "power-sharing" arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar at the time of government formation in 2023.
Alleging rampant corruption in the state, Bommai claimed that the corruption was taking place right under the Chief Minister's nose, and he was silently supporting it.
"There seems to be a competition in the state as to who will exploit the situation more – between the Chief Minister, Deputy CM, and Ministers in the cabinet," he added.
Refuting Siddaramaiah's claims that his government is stable economically and politically, the former CM asked, "If your government is stable economically, why was about Rs 15,000 crore from the budget not spent? You don't have the money, so you haven't spent it. The CM thinks that if he lies loudly, it will become the truth."
Noting that the people of Davanagere South assembly constituency have a lucky opportunity to remove the "corrupt Congress government," Bommai appealed to the voters to change the state's political course by ensuring that the BJP candidates win the by-elections by a large margin.
"You should vote for the BJP candidates in this by-election to bring a pro-people BJP government to power in the state (in 2028)," he told the voters.
By-elections for the Bagalkot and Davanagere South Assembly constituencies will be held on April 9. The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, respectively.