Bengaluru: Build on the momentum gained from victories in bypolls in Nanjangud and Gundlupet and craft a strategy early in order to retain power in 2018: This was the brief by Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dr G Parameshwar and working president Dinesh Gundurao during a meeting in New Delhi on Saturday.
To start with, the leaders were told to draw up the list of candidates to contest next year's elections to the Legislative Assembly at the earliest.
Mr Gandhi also cautioned them to respect the sentiments of party workers of respective constituencies, and evolve a consensus during the process of selection of candidates. Besides, leaders should focus on developmental schemes and achievements of the government, a strategy adopted during the recent byelections while reaching out to voters, Mr Gandhi was quoted as telling the trio, a senior leader told Deccan Chronicle.
The leader said while Mr Gandhi gave Mr Siddaramaiah the thumbs up to expand his cabinet by inducting two ministers, and nominate three members to the Legislative Council, his suggestion on commencement of selection of candidates means a further extension to Dr Parameshwar's tenure as chief of the state unit of Congress.
