Bengaluru: In what is considered a clear signal to Congressmen that there is not likely to be any major rejig in the party organisation before the 2018 Assembly polls, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar on Monday directed MLAs to focus on winning elections in 2018, instead of complaining about the appointments
A section of legislators have been raking up the issue of ‘anomalies’ in party appointments after the All India Congress Committee (AICC) recently formed a jumbo-sized KPCC. These statements by the CM and the KPCC chief are considered a snub to leaders like Kolar MP K.H. Muniyappa who has been leading a small pack of disgruntled leaders in the party who are unhappy with the appointments.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle after the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting here, a senior leader disclosed that leaders like Yeshwantpur MLA S.T. Somashekhar and Madhugiri MLA K.N. Rajanna had tacitly joined hands with Mr Muniyappa to rake up this issue ahead of AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi's visit to the city on July 21.
“Mr Muniyappa has been making noises about a large share of the appointments going in favour of KPCC president Dr Parameshwar and working president, Dinesh Gundu Rao. This group's primary accusation was that of the 171 appointments which were made by the AICC, only 70 are from places other than Bengaluru district. This has caused major heartburn among these leaders and they were trying hard to convince the leadership that the revamp suffered from an inherent caste and regional imbalance,” the source quipped.
According to the source, when Mr Rajanna and Mr Somashekhar brought up this issue during the CLP meeting, Mr Siddaramaiah heard them patiently and then snapped, “Don't you all think you (MLAs) must worry about winning your seats in 2018 rather being complaining about the appointments? You should be helping party leaders win the elections.” KPCC president, Dr G. Parameshwar too joined in saying the party had deliberately not given additional responsibilities to MLAs so that they could focus on winning the elections. “We feel that MLAs should not be given any additional responsibility ahead of crucial elections. This is a make or break election for the Congress, therefore this decision was taken,” he reportedly said.
He also replied to the charge that MLCs had replaced MLAs in many posts saying this was intentional as MLCs do not have to fight elections and their services can be utilised in the best way possible.
‘All is well in Cong’
The effect of Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah’s hard-hitting reply to voices of dissent within the party was visible when social welfare minister H. Anjaneya reacted sharply to a bid by a section of MLAs to raise questions on the configuration of the newly formed Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.
“We have decided not talk about this issue anymore, There is no problem in our party, all is well,” he said in response to a question.
