Bengaluru/New Delhi: The Congress high command is holding a series of meetings with the Karnataka leaders in New Delhi on Wednesday to tackle the dissent of some party leaders and devise a strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha election next year, sources said. AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, party leader Rahul Gandhi, General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Singh Surjewala among others are likely to participate in the meeting in the national capital.
CM Siddaramaiah, DCM DK Shivakumar, Ministers KH Muniyappa, MB Patil, Satish Jarakiholi, KJ George, Krishnabairegowda, Ramalinga Reddy, G Parameshwar, MP DK Suresh, Delhi MP TB Jayachandra, Jagadish Shettar, Laxman Savadi, BK Hariprasad including 37 leaders have been invited to the meeting.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said about 50 state Congress leaders and ministers will be meeting the party leadership in New Delhi on August 2 to strategize on a plan of action for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Sources said that elaborate discussion over the Lok Sabha election, the implementation of Congress guarantees in Karnataka, appointment of the KPCC working president are high on agenda at the meeting.
Also read: Karnataka: Congress leaders review preparations for the Bengaluru Opposition meeting
According to sources, two meetings of Congress leaders will be held in Delhi today-one of senior MLAs with President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi and the second meeting will be held by the Congress top brass with Karnataka ministers. It is learnt that the high command leaders will work to calm the discontent of the MLAs in Karnataka.
A recent letter by certain MLAs expressing discontent with the state leadership has caused major embarrassment to the government. High command leaders are said to convince the MLAs to discuss disagreements with the party top brass rather than writing open statements and letters. The party leadership has also told the Karnataka leaders to reach more people with the five guarantees announced by the Congress in the state.
The party high command is seeking to publicise the five guarantees to make major gains in the Lok Sabha elections scheduled next year. The Congress high command isre likely to demand the formation of a coordination committee to achieve coordination between ministers and MLAs in Karnataka. Many leaders have suggested that a committee be formed under the leadership of Home Minister G Parameshwar or senior leader RV Deshpande.
Rahul Gandhi and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge will hold serious talks with state leaders in this regard. Discussions will also be held regarding the replacing KPCC working president Satish Jarakiholi, Ramalingareddy, and late Dhrivanarayan. There will also be a consultation about giving the post of KPCC working president to BK Hariprasad.
In the background of the Lok Sabha election, there is a possibility that five strong leaders from Dalit, Vookkaliga, Lingayat, minority and backward classes will be given the post of KPCC working presidents.
