Water Resources Minister Govid M. Karjol on Saturday challenged the Opposition Congress to declare veteran leader and AICC presidential candidate M. Mallikarjun Kharge as the Chief Minister face of the party in the State Legislative Assembly elections, 2023.
Speaking at a press conference here, Mr. Karjol said the Congress has "cheated" Mr. Kharge, a Dalit leader of the party. Despite his victory in 11 elections, nine in Assembly and two in Lok Sabha, Mr. Kharge had been denied the post of Chief Minister by the Congress, he alleged.
“The Congress is a sinking ship and is facing an existential crisis,” he said. Dalits are not satisfied with Mr. Kharge being made the AICC presidential candidate. The Congress, which ruled the country for six decades banking on Dalit votes, “backstabbed” the Dalit community, he alleged.
"Let the Congress declare Mr. Kharge as the Chief Ministerial candidate at least now," he said. The Dalits have stopped trusting Congress, claimed Mr. Karjol, who also belongs to the community.
Speaking about the Bharat Jodo yatra, he said it has come at a time when the Congress in Karnataka was a “divided house” with factionalism and game of one-upmanship between its leaders to have control over party affairs ahead of Assembly polls, he said. It will have no impact on the BJP and its fortunes, he said.
Kittur Utsav
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai would flag off the Veera Jyothi Yatra as a part of Kittur Utsav at Town Hall in Bengaluru on Sunday. The Kittur Utsav would be held at Kittur in Belagavi for three days from October 23, informed the Minister.
