Unhappy with Karnataka Congress women wing, DK Shivakumar urges better performance

Deputy CM DK Shivakumar called on the Congress women's wing to improve ahead of the 2028 elections, expressing his unhappiness with their performance.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday called upon the Congress women's wing to step up preparations for the 2028 assembly elections. He also said that he is not happy with the performance of women workers in the Congress party.

Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar.

During his address, Shivakumar expressed dissatisfaction with the current performance of the Congress women's wing, which is now under the leadership of former MLA Soumya Reddy, daughter of senior party leader Ramalinga Reddy. He urged for greater involvement and proactive initiatives, saying, "I am not happy with the women's wing; it has not lived up to expectations. There are numerous opportunities ahead if you are determined to achieve something."

Reaffirming the party's commitment to women's empowerment, Shivakumar highlighted the implementation of government schemes despite criticism from the opposition. "When our government set up committees to roll out the guarantee schemes, the opposition raised objections. However, today, they are adopting the Karnataka model in their respective states," he noted. He also stated that 74 out of the 224 assembly seats would be earmarked for women if the Women's Reservation Bill becomes law.

In an effort to strengthen the party’s grassroots presence, he announced incentives for Congress workers enrolling beneficiaries of the Gruhalakshmi scheme into the party. "Those who register at least 50 women as party members will be rewarded with a taluk-level director’s post," he promised.

Congress to hold a grand event in May

Additionally, Shivakumar revealed that the Congress government is planning a grand event on May 20 to commemorate two years in office. As part of the celebrations, he suggested organizing rangoli competitions for women benefiting from government guarantee schemes, adding that prizes would be awarded for the most creative designs.