Rahul: Assess Congress’s LS performance in K’taka
Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Bengaluru was also marked by his appearance in a court hearing related to a defamation case filed by the BJP against Congress leaders
Following the Lok Sabha election results in Karnataka, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi convened a meeting in Bengaluru on Friday with newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) and losing candidates to assess the party’s performance.
Addressing the media following the meeting, deputy chief minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar said that Gandhi has assigned the task of evaluating the party’s performance to three senior leaders. “We will discuss and submit a report. He has asked me, chief minister Siddaramaiah, and All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary, Randeep Singh Surjewala, to submit a report,” he said.
Gandhi’s visit to Bengaluru was also marked by his appearance in a court hearing related to a defamation case filed by the BJP against Congress leaders. The meeting was held hours after Rahul Gandhi was granted bail from a Bengaluru court in connection with a defamation case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Keshav Prasad.
The 42nd Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) court, designated for cases involving elected representatives, granted bail after Gandhi appeared in person. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, who also faced charges in the case, were granted bail on June 1 after appearing before the court.
The case stems from advertisements allegedly disseminated by Congress leaders, which claimed that a 40% commission was being charged for all public works under the previous BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai.
Addressing the media, Shivakumar said, “Rahul Gandhi would attend the court in connection with a case filed by the BJP over an advertisement by the Congress party on the corruption rate card. BJP MLA Yatnal himself had said that the Chief Minister’s post costs ₹2,500 crore in BJP. The advertisement included media reports about the BJP’s corruption. Rahul Gandhi’s name has been included in the complaint to get publicity.”
The BJP’s Karnataka unit had previously sought a non-bailable warrant against Gandhi for his non-appearance on June 1, but the court exempted his appearance on that date and mandated his presence on June 7.
The next hearing is scheduled for June 30. Former Congress MP DK Suresh secured Gandhi’s bail by providing property worth ₹75 lakh rupees as security. Gandhi later left for the state’s party headquarters for his meeting with the candidates.
During the meeting, Gandhi asked the MPs and candidates to maintain a strong connection with their constituents, urging them to remain present in their regions, barring sessions in Parliament. Shivakumar added, “He has asked them to avoid Bengaluru and Delhi, except when Parliament is in session, and to be in touch with their constituents. He has asked the MPs to be with the people.”
Despite initial expectations of securing around 12-15 seats, Congress managed to win only nine out of the 28 available in the state, trailing behind the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Janata Dal (Secular), which won 19 seats togethery.
Shivakumar further added that Rahul Gandhi held discussions with several Karnataka cabinet ministers, where he inquired about the voting patterns in their respective constituencies. He expressed that the party had anticipated a better performance, aiming for five to six additional seats. “We had expected to win five to six more seats. Gandhi stressed the importance of accountability,” he added.