Bypoll outcome will help Congress gauge people's mood, says Dr G Parameshwar
With hardly a year left for the Assembly elections, the Congress government needs to focus on marketing its popular schemes properly, says Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and home minister Dr G Parameshwar. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, he shared his views on the Gundlupet and Nanjangud bypolls and other political developments. Here are excerpts.
What are your chances in the Gundlupet and Nanjangud assembly by polls?
Our party is banking on sympathy in Gundlupet where our late minister, H.S. Mahadevprasad had achieved a lot of development. There is talk of caste-based politics here but we are not bothered about it. We went before the people highlighting the four year performance of our government headed by CM Siddaramaiah. As far as Nanjangud is concerned, Srinivasprasad had not achieved much in his constituency. As a minister with a powerful portfolio, he failed to deliver the goods. So, the CM deployed Public Works minister Dr H.C. Mahadevappa to improve the constituency six months ago and he did it. There may be debates over the caste factor but people want development first.
The CM had been tomtoming the achievements of his government. Will there be a redesign of the party strategy in 2018 if your party loses the byelections?
We promised many things during the 2013 assembly polls and we have delivered. We are implementing many schemes this year too. The government knows what people want in the last year of its tenure which will be addressed. At the same time we are chalking out bigger programmes for the next five years in irrigation and infrastructure. Confidence building measures will be taken up on a big scale. Some people talk about the petty politics of some individuals about which we are not bothered.
The state is reeling under an unprecedented drought but your government deployed over 25 ministers to campaign in the two bypolls.
We have not neglected drought relief. We did not involve RDPR Minister H.K. Patil, Revenue Minister Kagodu Thimmappa and Agriculture Minister Krishna Byregowda in the election campaign as they are busy distributing relief given by the Centre to distressed farmers. Law and parliamentary affairs minister T.B. Jayachandra who came on the first day of the campaign, was sent back by the CM to review drinking water availability. All of us are party workers first. The party expects ministers to do party work too. Even I have not neglected my department. Every day in the morning, I get a briefing on murder, theft and other offences through my officers and I give instructions too. My physical presence or absence will not stop it.
Former minister and Nanjangud BJP candidate Srinivasprasad had accused you of not going to his rescue when he was axed from the council of ministers. He has termed the Chief Minister as anti-dalit. How do you react to it?
It was a collective decision of the CM and the PCC president to drop him from the ministry. It is the prerogative of the CM to do this in consultation with the state and national party president and other important office bearers. These things are normal and it happens. This had been done to 14 other ministers too. It had happened during the tenure of SM Krishna, Veerappa Moily and non-Congress governments too to give opportunity to youth. Mr Srinivasprasad was a senior member, so he was given a good portfolio. However, the government and the party felt that his performance was not upto the mark, maybe because of health issues. So, the CM decided to rest him and this should not be considered a punishment as 13 others too were dropped from the council of ministers. Mr Srinivasaprasad could have continued in the Congress and helped the party. He might have had differences with Mr Siddaramaiah, not with others.
Has the Congress image been dented after the exit of Mr S.M. Krishna from the party and his joining the BJP?
Mr Krishna had been silent after he was dropped by the Congress led UPA government and had kept away from all party functions. We will miss him definitely but his exit has not affected the party image in any manner.
According to you, are Mr Srinivasaprasad, Mr Krishna and Mr Kumar Bangarappa (who all have joined BJP) spent forces?
No, I don't call anyone a spent force. They joining the Bharatiya Janata Party has not damaged our party image in any manner.
Will you consider the results of the two bypolls a referendum on the performance of the Siddaramaiah government?
I don’t think the results will be a referendum as the byelections are being held to just two seats of the total 224. The sample size is too small to measure the popularity of the government. But it will help gauge the people's mood towards the party.
Is the Siddaramaiah government facing anti-incumbency?
(laughs) I don't think so. We have done whatever was promised to people but we are a bit weak in marketing our achievements. With one year left for the general election, we have to give new programmes to people and that would be made known to them. We have to implement programmes in our last budget next year. I now understand how marketing is so important.
Of late, the police and revenue authorities are being assaulted by the sand mafia. Has the government failed to contain this mafia?
Incidents of this kind are happening right from the day our government decided to control the sand business. We are controlling the sand businesses using the police. Despite this, there have been attacks on police and revenue officers. It’s not a good trend....we are taking tough action and booking cases against such elements. Our government is not going to keep quiet, we will deal with the mafia with an iron hand.
