It will be a change of roles for members of the Legislative Assembly in less than a week. B.S. Yediyurappa, who was Leader of the Opposition until recently, is set to occupy the Chief Minister’s chair, while Siddaramaiah, who was chairman of the coalition coordination committee, is likely to occupy the chair of Leader of the Opposition, even though there are a couple of contenders for that post.
Though the principal Opposition — the Congress — has not officially announced anyone for the post of Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Siddaramaiah is expected to occupy it as he is leader of the Congress Legislature Party, said sources. As he commands respect among senior and junior leaders, sources said, the central leaders of the party would surely take into account his “charisma and oratorial skills” and project him as the party’s face in the State.
His task will be to gain full control over the State unit of the party, which has splintered into several factions, particularly after the general elections this year. He is also expected to play a major role in the reconstitution of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, which was dissolved after the poll results.
With many of his loyalists now expected to join the BJP, it will be interesting to see how the former Chief Minister galvanises party legislators and workers to counter the saffron party. He has already ruled out induction of rebel MLAs into the party again.
The 70-year-old also has the tough task of recovering the vote bank of backward communities that deserted the Congress for the BJP in the 2019 polls. It remains to be seen how he will target the BJP during the debate on the confidence motion to be moved by Mr. Yediyurappa on Monday. Given the rumours about the Janata Dal (S) — the Congress’s coalition partner in the previous regime — making overtures to the BJP, how he handles the situation will be keenly watched.