Ministers in the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, who are also holding party posts but have not been able to devote time to party work, were asked by the high command to give them up for other leaders who can focus on it. This was discussed in the preparatory meeting for Lok Sabha elections held between the Congress high command with State leaders at New Delhi on Wednesday.
Ministers such as Ramalinga Reddy, Eshwar Khandre and Satish Jarkiholi have been continuing as working presidents of the KPCC.
One for each constituency
One Minister and a senior party leader have been asked to take the responsibility of one Parliamentary constituency each for strengthening the organization and ensuring the party’s victory in the next year’s polls. They have been told to work towards repeating the outcome of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly poll in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
This is the first meeting with senior leaders from Karnataka in New Delhi and comes after a meeting of 26 Opposition parties that led to formation of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) in Bengaluru, on July 17 and 18.
The Central leaders also came down on Ministers and leaders speaking in different voices in public about policy matters and government programmes. As some lawmakers complained about the “non-responsive culture” of Ministers, the party high command told Ministers to receive petitions from MLAs and phone calls from party workers, sources said.
The party high command has directed all Ministers to visit all districts to review their department programmes as well as to listen to workers’ woes.
Focus on guarantees
Mr. Gandhi told leaders and Ministers that the party came to power in Karnataka owing to the pro-poor five guarantees, and hence, they should take the five guarantees to each household of the State, irrespective of the criticism. They told the State leadership to counter the BJP’s alleged communal and emotional campaign by popularising five guarantees among the poor households, particularly women, sources said.
They have been told to create awareness among the people about the party’s popular programmes such as MGNREGA, Food Security Act, 73rd and 74th Constitution Amendment Acts for empowering Panchayat Raj, right to vote given to 18 years old by the Congress government led by Rajiv Gandhi in 1988.
The Central leaders held two separate meetings, first with senior leaders and some Ministers and later with all Ministers in the government, sources said.
After the meeting, Mr. Kharge posted a message on X (earlier twitter), “Together, we are scripting a new chapter of progress and welfare for 6.5 crore Kannadigas. We are tirelessly working towards fulfilling our five solemn guarantees, all of which are in advanced stages of implementation. A historic mandate also brings in a huge responsibility. We are confident that the people of Karnataka will also repose their faith in the Congress party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Karnataka trusts our welfare oriented governance and development paradigm.”
Senior leaders such as R.V. Deshpande, B.K. Hariprasad, Jagadish Shettar, Laxman Savadi, K.R. Ramesh Kumar and B.L. Shankar, Ministers such as K.H. Muniyappa, K.J. George, Ramalinga Reddy, M.B. Patil, Dinesh Gundu Rao, H.K. Patil, G. Parameshwara, Krishna Byre Gowda, Eshwar Khandre, Priyank Kharge, MPs D.K. Suresh, and the party’s Rajya Sabha members attended the meeting.
