Congress leadership to meet K'taka Ministers to strategise for LS polls

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Monday said the Congress leadership has decided to meet ministers and senior leaders of the party from the state on August 2 in New Delhi, to strategise on a plan of action for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

The meeting gains significance amid brewing discontent within the ruling party, with as many as 30 legislators reportedly having written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the party leadership expressing concern over non-implementation of development works in their constituencies and functioning of certain ministers.

"Yes, we have a political agenda, we have to finalise the plan of action for the Parliament (election), and how to go ahead with the Parliament (election). I want to fix the responsibility for all the leaders for the Parliament election and ticket (distribution) process," Shivakumar said in response to a question on state leaders going to Delhi for a meeting on August 2.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "How the candidate has to be selected, whether any minister or MLAs have to be in the field, who has to be responsible. We have to fix criteria for that, so they have called all the senior leaders." AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, General Secretaries K C Vengopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala among others are likely to participate in the Delhi meeting.

Asked whether the meeting has also been called following dissent in the party, as some leaders are not happy, Shivakumar said there is no dissidence in the party and some MLAs had only requested for a CLP meeting, which was accordingly held last week.

"Some leaders had requested to call for CLP because earlier when it (CLP) meeting was called, national leaders of various parties had come to Bengaluru for INDIA (alliance) meeting, and CLP meeting had to be postponed," he said, adding that after the August 2 meeting, the chief minister and himself will be calling a meeting of all district leaders and look at various issues concerning them.

Several legislators are said to be miffed and have complained that they had not been able to get work done in their constituencies, and have not been granted transfers (of government servants) as requested. They are said to have expressed unhappiness regarding some ministers, alleging that they were not cooperating with them.

The Delhi meeting is taking place in the backdrop of the recent statement by senior party leader and MLC B K Hariprasad, that he knows “how to make and bring down a chief minister”, and Shivakumar's own claims that a plot was being hatched in Singapore to topple the government.

Senior MLA B R Patil on Sunday said he threatened to resign during the recent Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, citing "self-respect".

The behaviour and conduct of certain ministers has upset some legislators, Patil said, as he warned that their fight would continue, if it is not corrected.

Asked about Patil's comments, Shivakumar said, "He is a very sensitive man, he is a great friend of ours, he is an important leader of the party. He has (raised) some ethical issues. He had given a request. On his request only the CM had called for a meeting".