Game of money, politics at Siddaramaiah’s birthday bash

BENGALURU: Siddaramaiah’s birthday bash in Davanagere on August 3, touted to be aimed at sending out a political message ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls, is likely to cost not less than Rs 25 crore. With over a 100 leaders, including some MLAs, engaged in organising the event, it was alleged that the opposition party is turning a blind eye to the flood mayhem across the state.

Organisers, however, said the event was planned much earlier and it is to showcase their leader as the champion of the downtrodden. “Given his contribution as CM, he cannot be bracketed as a leader of Congress or one particular community,” said KN Rajanna, president of the organising committee.

The expenditure involves setting up of the stage, erecting a pandal on a 50-acre land belonging to MLA Shamanuru Shivashankarappa and ferrying around 5 lakh people from different parts of the state. Preparing the food alone will cost Rs 2.5 crore and the tab has been picked up by a senior leader, sources told TNIE.

Top leaders RV Deshpande, KN Rajanna, ex-minister Basavaraja Rayareddy, MLA Byrati Suresh and HC Mahadevappa, who are part of the committee, are reportedly pooling in money to hold the mega-show.
Some other leaders, including former deputy CM Dr G Parameshwara and former minister Ramalinga Reddy, too have committed to contribute generously as they dream of bagging top posts if the party comes to power after the 2023 Assembly polls and expect Siddaramaiah to have a say.

“Since Siddaramaiah is close to Rahul Gandhi, who is likely to attend the event, all these leaders are soft on Siddaramaiah,” a leader remarked.