BENGALURU: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Sunday said that there was no need for the Congress high command to intervene immediately in the alleged sting operation targeting former chief minister and Congress Working Committee member Siddaramaiah, and urged CM DK Shivakumar and KPCC president BK Hariprasad to resolve the issue through discussions at the state level.
“There is no need to insist that the high command intervene immediately. The CM and the party president should discuss the issue and resolve it locally,” Parameshwara told reporters.
He said the party had a general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala to address such issues. Repeatedly expecting the high command to intervene in every matter would not help resolve problems, he said.
On reports that a team of senior Congress leaders might be sent to Karnataka to address the developments, Dr Parameshwara said he had no information about it.
Expressing concern that the controversy was overshadowing the government’s work, he said issues related to governance and development deserved greater public attention.
‘Political affairs committee not another power centre’
On the formation of a political affairs committee in the state Congress, Dr Parameshwara said Shivakumar might have consulted the party high command before proceeding with the initiative.
He said the committee was intended to facilitate collective decision-making on important political and policy matters rather than allow the CM to take decisions unilaterally.
Dismissing concerns that it could emerge as another power centre, he said the committee would provide a platform for members to express their views and would not interfere in day-to-day administration.
Reacting to an opinion poll predicting 149 seats for the BJP-JDS alliance in the next Assembly elections, he said it was too early to draw conclusions. “The outcome would depend on the political situation and public mood at the time of the elections. The Congress would treat the survey as a challenge and intensify its efforts to win public support,” he added.