To sharpen its poll strategy, the Congress on Tuesday held a marathon meeting with its top leaders and new office-bearers of the State unit and decided to hit back at the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party saying it alone doesn’t have copyright over Hindutva.
Speaking at the meeting attended by AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal, KPCC president G. Parameshwara and 200 new office-bearers, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told the cadre to counter BJP’s agenda of “communal and Hindutva politics” aggressively by justifying the party’s role in safeguarding the Hindu religion since the country’s independence.
“What the BJP is preaching is not Hinduism. They just want to divide society. We want to take along all communities and religion and move forward,” the Chief Minister reportedly stated in his address, said sources in the Congress.
Mr. Siddaramaiah also told the party workers/leaders to sharpen their knives to counter the BJP’s attack on the government’s policies.
Asking the office-bearers to organise booth-level committees in all 224 constituencies, he said additional 50 votes in each booth would add up to 10,000 votes in each constituency.
Upset with Congress leader C.M. Ibrahim for meeting Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda, Mr. Siddaramaiah reportedly expressed his anger against leaders who are warming up to JD(S) leaders.
Specially designed bus for Rahul’s campaign
Rahul Gandhi, during his visit to the State in the run up to the polls, will be travelling in a specially designed bus and not car. He will visit the State for three days from February 10 and hold roadshows and corner meetings. He will address a scheduled tribes rally in Hosapete in Ballari on February 10, and attend a farmers’ meeting in Chickballapur and students’ meeting in Mysuru on February 11. On February 12, he will address a mega rally of the State Congress in Bengaluru.
Only five Ministers attend meet
Though an invitation to attend the meeting was given to all Ministers, only five were present. Out of 280 newly elected office-bearers, nearly 80 abstained from the meeting. Mr. Venugopal is learnt to have expressed his displeasure at the functioning of some leaders and laxity shown in the formation of booth-level committees, particularly in Mandya district.
