BENGALURU: G Parameshwara tendered his resignation as the Home Minister in accordance with the instructions from party high command following the decision to continue him as the KPCC president ahead of the 2018 Assembly election.
Parameshwara met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday afternoon and submitted his resignation. He is set to concentrate fully on party affairs. The resignation comes as part of the rejig Congress high command has effected in KPCC with the induction of former minister S R Patil as the second working president along with Dinesh Gundurao. The party has also decided to accommodate Energy minister D K Shivakumar as the chairman of Congress Campaign Committee.
Submitting the resignation, Parameshwara said he would live up to the expectations of the party leadership as the KPCC chief, with the co-operation of the party rank and file.
Parameshwara also said being asked to resign was not a demotion, but responsibility for working with others to win the elections in 2018. He also said that no decision had been taken about him contesting and that a meeting would be held on this. “If the high command asks me to contest, then I will or if they wish that I continue as an MLC, I am alright with that too,” he said.
“The 2018 elections are a big challenge. There are very few Congress ruled states and the entire nation will be looking at us. Our confidence level at this stage is very comfortable,” he added, in response to preparedness of the Congress.
About his one-year and seven-month stint as Home Minister, Parameshwara, who thanked all the police personnel for their cooperation, said one of the regrets was not cracking the Kalburgi murder case. “It is the biggest hunt ever launched by the CID. We did not have a single clue and so many angles have been pursued and we are still trying to link it with with Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare cases through ballistics. Investigations are continuing,” he said.
As to whether the state would finally get a Dalit CM, he hastily replied that confusion should be created at this time.