BENGALURU: Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, who is also KPCC president, held a meeting of senior women Congress leaders of the state unit on Saturday. He also met women party workers in a separate meeting.
He honoured veteran leaders Bimba Raikar, Sushila Krishnamurthy, Pankajakshi, Manorama, and Pyarejaan in recognition of their service to the party. He also heard the grievances of party workers.
Even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was asked to inaugurate the program had said that he wouldn’t be available, Shivakumar went ahead with the event.
“Representation for women will be given in party organisation at the taluk and district levels. Women will be taken into confidence, and they will be made the solid foundation of the party,” he said.
Shivakumar showed signs of continuing as KPCC president for some more time, even as there was a demand for a change within the party by the Siddaramaiah camp.
“We are preparing the next generation of women leaders, collecting opinions from them about the guarantee schemes. Opinions from senior women leaders of the party have also been collected,” said Shivakumar. As many as 40 senior women leaders have given their opinion based on their experiences as to why the Congress could not win the expected number of Lok Sabha seats despite the guarantees being implemented, he said.
The meeting also discussed ways to prepare women to take up political leadership and get them into electoral politics. “Representation for women will be given in party organisation at the taluk and district levels. Women will be taken into confidence, and they will be made the solid foundation of the party,” he said.