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Cong top brass deliberates on LS polls strategy with Karnataka leaders
The Congress chief also expressed confidence that “the people of Karnataka will continue to support the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections”, citing the historic mandate as a “huge responsibility”
Bengaluru:
The Congress central leadership on Wednesday met with senior party leaders from Karnataka and discussed the party’s strategy for the next Lok Sabha elections, people familiar with the matter said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar, and AICC general secretary in-charge for Karnataka, Randeep Surjewala, among others took part in the meeting.
Kharge and Gandhi urged the Karnataka leaders to help replicate the party’s performance in the upcoming general elections and emphasised the importance of unity across all ranks, one of the people quoted above said.
The Congress chief also expressed confidence that “the people of Karnataka will continue to support the party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections”, citing the historic mandate as a “huge responsibility”. He said, “Karnataka trusts the party’s welfare-oriented governance and development paradigm.”
“A historic mandate also brings in a huge responsibility. We are confident that the people of Karnataka will also repose their faith in the Congress party in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” he said.
Kharge said, “Together, we are scripting a new chapter of progress and welfare for 6.5 crore Kannadigas. We are tirelessly working towards fulfilling our five solemn guarantees, all of which are in advanced stages of implementation.”
During the meeting, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, the people said, told the senior leaders and ministers that they “should collaborate and take responsibility for their parliamentary constituencies”.
A senior leader, who was part of the meeting, while quoting Gandhi said, “There should be no allegation of corruption, and we have to deliver the promises made to the people...”
Talking to the reporters about the meeting, chief minister Siddaramaiah said: “Party president Rahul Gandhi, and other senior leaders met with all the ministers of our cabinet. The main topic of discussion was the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, and all the leaders have given their opinion on the matter,” .
The meeting of Karnataka leaders with the Congress top brass comes in the backdrop of the growing discontentment within the ruling party, with 30 legislators reportedly writing to chief minister Siddaramaiah and the party leadership expressing concern over the “non-implementation of development works in their constituencies and the functioning of certain ministers”.
Last week, Siddaramaiah had held a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting in Bengaluru to address the issue. Senior Congress leader BR Patil later told the media that he had offered to resign during the CLP meeting.
Siddaramaiah who is set to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, since being sworn in as chief minister stated that the Congress is ready to face the 2024 elections with guarantee schemes as its main agenda. “We are ready to face the next Lok Sabha elections with the guarantee schemes as our main agenda,” he wrote on social media platform X.
(With PTI inputs)
