Mysuru: AICC general secretary, K.C. Venugopal, who arrived in Bengaluru on Monday, will hold discussions with MPs, MLAs and ministers on strategies to help the party return to power in 2018, according to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Speaking to reporters on his arrival here, he asserted that no leader would leave the party when asked about rumours of senior leader A.H. Vishwanath quitting it. He, however, admitted he had not spoken to Mr Vishwanath about it. As for allegations of corruption against ministers Tanvir Sait and M Krishnappa, he demanded, “Have they been proved?” Asked about the BJP’s decision to fight “the corrupt practices” of the Congress, he said when corruption was rampant during the saffron party’s stint in power in the state and its CM had gone to jail for it, it had no moral right to point fingers at his government. “ They think people will forget. But they have shown they have not in the Nanjangud and Gundlpet byelections,” he added.
On BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje seeking white paper on drought relief funds released by the Centre, he regretted that although the state had sought Rs 4,700 crore for relief works, it had received only Rs 1,600 crore. “We have released Rs 1100 crore and held back 20 per cent of the money due to want of claims. Also, we have not received any funds although we had sought Rs 3300 crore following the failure of the North East monsoon. Let them release this first and then we will release the white paper later,” he added.
