Karnataka Ministers in Delhi as Congress convenes meet to discuss strategies for LS elections

The key focus this time is to identify the right candidates, and find ways to counter the Rama temple issue, a senior Congress leader said.

Published on: Jan 12, 2024, 12:50:22 IST

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Karnataka Ministers on Thursday headed to New Delhi to attend a meeting convened by the central leadership of the Congress to discuss strategies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the State. Ministers K N Rajanna, K J George, B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, G Parameshwara, Laxmi Hebbalkar, N S Boseraju and R B Thimmapur are among those who flew to the national capital in the morning, Congress sources said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (ANI Photo) (Arunkumar Rao)

“The information we have is that 29 ministers have been summoned to Delhi to discuss strategies,” a senior Congress leader told PTI.

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According to him, the key focus this time is to identify the right candidates, and find ways to counter the Rama temple issue so that it does not adversely affect the party's poll prospects in Karnataka.

“The ministers will be asked to publicise the five guarantees (pre-poll promises of the party) and various other welfare schemes of the state government. Our key strength in the Lok Sabha election is our five guarantees, which no other state has implemented,” the Congress leader claimed.

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While Rama temple may come up for discussion, the Congress leader said the party is not unduly worried about it. “We are not very much thinking about the Ram Temple issue because the Hindu community itself is divided with four Shankaracharyas reportedly not attending the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya on January 22,” a Congress source said.

He also underlined that the demand by some Ministers that three deputy chief ministers should be appointed in Karnataka may not come up for discussion in the meeting. “Our party president (M) Mallikarjun Kharge has snubbed the ministers and MLAs demanding it. He has strictly told them not to raise this issue till the elections are over,” the source said.

The Congress put up a dismal show in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, where it won just one of the total 28 seats.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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