The Congress on Wednesday said that it has decided to dissolve its Karnataka committee. It however, said that Dinesh Gundu Rao will continue as the state party chief.

Rao said that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee as well as the district and block panels will now be reorganised. “It’ll be a total reorganisation of the party at all levels,” he said.

This comes after a day after Congress suspended senior leader and Karnataka MLA Roshan Baig from the party for alleged anti-party activities.

Baig on Wednesday alleged that he was being targeted and said that former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah could be behind his suspension. “It is obvious that I have been targeted by the state leadership,” Baig told ANI. “Is speaking the truth a crime? I have the highest regard and respect for Rahul Gandhi. I never criticised him. I am a worker of Indian National Congress, not Siddu [Siddaramaiah] Congress. I had only spoken about the poor performance of the party. Siddaramaiah could be the reason for my suspension from the party.”

Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah arrived in the Bengaluru to meet Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, ANI reported.

“You took disciplinary action against me,” said Baig. “Some of the Congress leaders openly defeated our dalit leader KH Muniyappa. Why no action was taken against them? Some of the Congress leaders openly supported Sumalatha. Why no one was suspended? This clearly shows that I am being targeted.”

However, Karnataka Congress chief Rao told ANI that the suspension followed a preliminary inquiry. “Now AICC [All India Congress Committee] will decide after further enquiry,” he said. “Also, instead of going to media, he should have gone to leaders in Delhi, it would have been more sensible.”

In May, the Congress had issued a show cause notice to Baig after he said state party president Rao, Siddaramaiah and party general secretary KC Venugopal should be held responsible “if the party comes up with a below par performance in the Lok Sabha elections”. His comments came after the exit polls predicted a debacle for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance. The party and its ally, Janata Dal (Secular), won two seats while the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance bagged the remaining 26 seats.

Baig even called Venugopal a buffoon.

Baig had also alleged that portfolios in the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress government “were sold” and minorities were ignored. He even appealed to Muslims to compromise with the situation if the NDA returns to power. “Where we will not get respect, we will not want to remain there,” he had said. “If someone makes us sit with love and affection, we will sit with them.”