Bengaluru: Taking a tough stand on the discontent in the Congress over its decision to give away some of its parliamentary constituencies to its coalition partner, the Janata Dal (S), AICC general secretary, K. C. Venugopal late Friday late night issued a strict warning to all party workers to work for the coalition candidates these Lok Sabha polls.
The party appears to have decided to act as the coalition is facing a rebellion in some constituencies, especially in the old Mysuru region, where Congress workers are openly expressing their displeasure over the seat sharing arrangement with the JD(S).
Observing that the party was facing "some trouble" in some constituencies it had parted with for the JD(S), Mr Venugopal said, "The Congress has forged an alliance, and its leaders must honour this. “We are keeping tabs on all of you. We do not want your personal interests to come in way of the party's sole agenda of defeating communal and anti-Constitutional forces in the country."
The AICC general secretary also directed the party’s ministers to work in tandem with JD(S) leaders of their respective districts in the Lok Sabha elections. Later, speaking to reporters after his emergency meeting with party leaders here, Mr Venugopal said the Congress would not hesitate to take strong action against those who did not work for it these elections.
"Those helping the BJP, those helping independents supported by the BJP, will not have any place in the Congress. I am saying this very categorically," he asserted without naming Mandya independent candidate, Sumalatha Ambareesh, who is rece iving open support from a section of the Mandya Congress leaders.
"This holds good for our ministers too. Being district in-charge ministers, they cannot work independently or work with Congress party leaders alone. Instead these ministers from now on must make it a point to work in tandem with JD(S) leaders of their respective districts too," he added.
Present at the meeting were Deputy Chief Minister, Dr G. Parameshwara, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao and ministers from the party.
