Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday said that those who have quit the Congress would be welcomed back if they wanted to rejoin the party unconditionally.
“It is the year of organising the Congress party. We will happily welcome those who want to return to the party fold without any preconditions. I will travel in 100 Assembly constituencies this year to strengthen the party,” he said during the oath-taking ceremony of the newly appointed working presidents of the KPCC — seven-time legislator Ramalinga Reddy and former MP from Chamarajanagar R. Dhruvanarayan. With their induction, the number of working presidents has gone up to five. Earlier, Satish Jarkiholi, Saleem Ahmed, and Ishwar Khandre had been appointed as working presidents.
Mr. Shivakumar also advised leaders to hold meetings in party offices and not at their residences, and told his supporters not to raise slogans that he would be the next Chief Minister. The Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, M. Mallikarjun Kharge, told party leaders not to promise anyone ticket to contest in elections. “The issue has to be discussed on the party platform,” he added.
Mr. Kharge also blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for the violence at Red Fort on January 26. “It was their conspiracy. The person who hoisted the flag is seen in a photograph with Mr. Modi. Did the intelligence not have any information? Why did the police fail to prevent movement towards the Red Fort? Why were they silent till a religious flag was hoisted? All this shows that it was an organised conspiracy,” he said.
Many leaders, including Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah and former Minister H.K. Patil, attended the meeting.
