In preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress high command on Wednesday (August 2) held marathon meetings in New Delhi with senior leaders and Ministers from Karnataka and told them to revamp the party’s organisation at all levels and strongly instructed Ministers to adopt zero tolerance towards corruption.
The party’s central leaders noted complacency among Ministers and leaders of the party after the Assembly elections and told them to work on a mission mode in each Parliamentary constituency, said sources. The party won just one seat (Bengaluru Rural) in the 2019 general elections.
The meeting, chaired by AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC chief D.K. Shivakumar, AICC general secretaries K.C. Venugopal (Organisation) and Randeep Singh Surjewala (in-charge of Karnataka) told leaders to devote more time to galvanise the party cadre from the booth level, sources told The Hindu.
In light of the party’s “40% commission sarkar” campaign against the previous BJP government and some party MLAs now complaining against a few Ministers in the Congress government, the central leaders told the Ministers to adopt zero tolerance towards graft in administration or face action, it is learnt.
One for each constituency
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. Ministers such as Ramalinga Reddy, Eshwar Khandre and Satish Jarkiholi have been continuing as working presidents of the KPCC.
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.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former president Rahul Gandhi and other senior leaders meeting the Karnataka leadership team at AICC HQ in New Delhi on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
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.
Published - August 02, 2023 10:12 pm IST
