BENGALURU: AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday warned ministers in the Siddaramaiah cabinet against making statements on the creation of more deputy CM posts, as it would send a wrong message to the people and damage the party’s image. It would also give opposition parties a weapon ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, he added.
Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi were speaking at a brainstorming session for ministers of four states ruled by the Congress. Miffed over ministers raising the issue of more DyCM posts, Kharge took those involved to task, especially Cooperation Minister KN Rajanna, a loyalist of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. He directly asked Rajanna why he kept speaking about more DyCM posts, despite AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala issuing a warning on Wednesday.
Earlier in the morning, DyCM D K Shivakumar’s brother and Bengaluru Rural MP DK Suresh took a dig at the ministers, especially Rajanna, for raising the issue and termed it an insult to AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge.
Kharge and other central leaders also warned the ministers not to trigger controversies unnecessarily. Kharge suggested that ministers who have been given the task of ensuring the party candidate’s victory, should focus on popularising the five guarantees the government has implemented. Rahul Gandhi said ministers should attend to the grievances of party workers and take them into confidence. The nomination of party workers to boards and corporations was also discussed.
On the Lok Sabha elections, strategists who had worked for the assembly polls will chalk out a plan in the war room, and strategist Sasikanth Senthil will hold a workshop for key state leaders. Winning more seats in Karnataka and Telangana, where the party is in power, taking advantage of the guarantees, was also discussed.
Candidates who fit the bill will be nominated, and if necessary, ministers would be fielded in some constituencies, depending on their winnability. The high command will go through survey reports before taking any call, sources said.
Getting leaders from other parties, especially the BJP, which is likely to drop incumbent MPs, was also discussed. According to sources, Vijayapura MP and Dalit leader Ramesh Jigajinagi is among them.
“The high command has instructed that candidates be finalised in as many constituencies as possible by the end of January. The high command will take a call whether to field ministers or not,” Health Minister Dinesh Gundurao said.
Senior leaders Dr G Parameshwara, MB Patil, Dr HC Mahadevappa, KH Muniyappa, Satish Jarkiholi and others also gave their inputs on the selection of candidates. AICC general secretaries Surjewala and K C Venugopal were also present.
Cong workers’ meet in M’luru on Jan 21
As part of its preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) is organising a party workers’ convention in Mangaluru on January 21. The Congress seems to be keen on strengthening its base and the organisation in coastal Karnataka, which is considered to be a BJP stronghold. The convention will be attended by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, AICC general secretaries, ministers, the party legislators and leaders, including gram panchayat members.
Include K’taka R-Day tableau: CM to rajnath
CM Siddaramaiah has appealed to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to include Karnataka’s tableau in the Republic Day parade. “Denying Karnataka’s tableau isn’t just an oversight, it is a blow to our state’s pride. Our achievements deserve the national stage,” the CM said. In his letter to Rajnath, the CM stated that the theme “Brand Bengaluru” was selected from among the five themes proposed by Karnataka for the parade. The tableau representing the state of Karnataka, themed “Brand Bengaluru”, depicts how the iconic city of Bengaluru has leapfrogged in development and yet is firmly rooted in its culture and tradition. “The decision not to allow Karnataka tableau at this year’s Repu-blic Day Parade has hurt the sentiments of Kannadigas... It is req-uested to allow Karnataka to showcase its tableau themed ‘Bra-nd Bengaluru’ in the parade at Kartavya Path, instead of limiting it to ‘Bharat Parv’ exhibition at the Red Fort,” the CM added.