BENGALURU: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be sharing the dais with Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, at the AICC Backward Classes advisory council’s ‘Bhagidari Nyay Sammelan’ at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.
He is likely to be projected as the Congress party’s face of backward classes at the national level, and also its mascot. The sammelan is crucial in the light of the Bihar assembly polls in November and December, and the grand old party is likely to send out a message through Siddaramaiah that it is committed to the uplift of backward classes.
The Siddaramaiah government has decided to conduct the caste census from September 22; the decision was taken at the behest of Rahul Gandhi, who has been vociferous in insisting that the Modi government should conduct the caste census at the national level.
At the sammelan, the AICC advisory council’s Bengaluru declaration on July 16 -- at its maiden meeting under the chairmanship of Siddaramaiah -- includes removal of 50 per cent cap on reservation, caste census and demand for quota for SC/ST/OBCs and minorities in the private sector, which are likely to be discussed.
Siddaramaiah got a moral boost, with Karnataka jumping to first place in per capita income, which is being attributed to the successful implementation of the five guarantees. It will be highlighted at the ‘bhagidari’ sammelan as Karnataka’s model of participatory governance. The Supreme Court declining to entertain the ED’s plea against Siddaramaiah’s wife BM Parvathi to implicate her in the MUDA case also came as a shot in the arm for him and the party.
During his stay in Delhi, Siddaramaiah is also likely to meet Union ministers on development issues, official sources said. Shivakumar has also sought the appointment of Union ministers, including Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupendar Yadav, to discuss the Mahadayi river diversion project to get clearances which were pending. With the Lok Sabha session under way, he will also meet Karnataka MPs in this regard, according to sources.
Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar, Surjewala finalise names
Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar met AICC general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala and finalised the nomination of party workers to boards and corporations. According to sources, the list of nominees would be released soon.
However, nominations for four MLC seats is likely to get delayed as Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar are unlikely to get the high command’s nod during this visit, sources added.