The source added that district in-charge ministers had to face embarrassment as they could not furnish details.
Bengaluru: Taking serious note of the prevailing disconnect between the ruling Congress party and the state government, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka, K.C. Venugopal on Monday directed party leaders in general and district in-charge ministers in particular to convene monthly review meeting of the respective districts to bridge the gap.
Venugopal is in the city to take stock of the situation in the state for the next four days by convening revenue division-wise meetings, as the Congress party feels that it has the best chance of retaining power post the Assembly polls in 2018.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader after attending the meeting, observed that Venugopal directed his deputies to fan out in their respective zones to take stock of the situation by obtaining a feedback from party workers.
“Although most leaders felt it was just another exercise, Venugopal seems to have succeeded in giving them a grand surprise when these leaders met him on Monday as he started asking them all the right questions,” the source claimed.
The source added that district in-charge ministers had to face embarrassment as they could not furnish details such as how many times they had visited the District Congress Committee offices whenever they travelled to their respective districts, where they have been appointed ministers. “It was very evident that Venugopal wanted ministers to deliver and he did not spare DCC presidents and other important members either.
He sought an explanation from MLAs and MPs including defeated candidates to give him details about how they would pitch in to improve the party’s prospects. How much time would they spare to tour in their respective regions? This kind of message was needed at this juncture,” the source explained.
Congmen hail KC’s style of functioning
Congress workers seem to have started liking K.C. Venugopal’s style of functioning as they are fed up with the growing chasm between CM Siddaramaiah and other leaders for various reasons. Now they feel they have someone who can be impartial in his observations and function as a leader. Therefore, workers have given him the right feedback which seem to be hurting leaders in various districts, a source told DC.
Jarkiholi brothers’ feud explodes!
Growing differences between Belagavi’s ‘all powerful’ Jarkiholi brothers and their followers which have been simmering for some time, finally exploded in front of AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal on Monday.
According to sources, Venugopal and KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar had to separate two brothers-excise minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and former minister Satish Jarkiholi — and hold discussions with them to calm tempers. The party leaders have now agreed to form an exclusive coordination committee to look into Belagavi district affairs. “Apart from this, both brothers seem to have sought AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s intervention to resolve the feud,” an eyewitness to the clash between the two brothers, disclosed to this newspaper on the condition of anonymity.
Venugopal who was armed with an internal report assigned Satish Jarkiholi control over party affairs in Belagavi while his brother and district in-charge minister Ramesh Jarkiholi will be in charge of creating awareness about government schemes across the district. The source added that CM Siddaramaiah obliquely complained to Venogopal that the party lost Belagavi mayor elections due to the brothers’ squabbles. “Unless we resolve their feud, we cannot even think of winning Belagavi district which has 18 Assembly seats,” the CM reportedly observed. After this observation, Venugopal reportedly offered a peace formula and constituted an exclusive co-ordination committee.
