Bengaluru: The Common Minimum Programme (CMP) drafting committee, headed by Congress veteran, M. Veerappa Moily, met for the first time on Wednesday to discuss a broad framework for the proposed CMP.
But the meeting could not move beyond discussing the manifestos of Congress and JD(S), instead of arriving at a consensual one, as JD(S) leader and minister H.D. Revanna kept insisting on implementing the manifesto of only the JD(S) in toto.
A senior leader, on condition of anonymity, told Deccan Chronicle, “It was Mr Revanna who kept insisting that schemes under the JD(S) manifesto should be implemented. He refused to listen to other speakers. Every time a scheme was mentioned by the Congress side, Mr Revanna would rattle off how the JD(S) scheme was better than the Congress'. After an hour-long discussion, Congress leaders felt that there was no point in talking to Mr Revanna and let him go on about his party manifesto.”
The source said that Congress leaders kept insisting that their party has already agreed to Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's proposal for a one-time loan waiver for farmers. "As soon as the Congress leaders mentioned it, Mr Revanna started talking about the party's pension scheme for elders and how it would benefit the coalition partners. Then he reeled off various schemes that are part of JD(S) manifesto alone," the source said.
“The Congress leaders realised that Mr Revanna cannot be stopped and wrapped up the meeting, saying the next CMP meeting be held in the presence of Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and the Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah to arrive at a common ground. With Mr Revanna, it is difficult to move forward. The coalition needs to have both Mr Kumaraswamy and Mr Siddaramaiah to rein in Mr Revanna in future meetings," the source said.
