Kalaburagi (Karnataka): With just five months left for assembly polls in Karnataka, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday urged party leaders to unitedly face the election and clarified that the high command will decide, who will become the Chief Minister and Ministers, after coming to power.
He also asked Congressmen and leaders to travel across the state and attract people towards the party, like the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi do. "You should bring our government, the Congress should come to power. I'm today the AICC President, for my honour and that of my party you should ensure the Congress government in Karnataka.
"If we are in power, we will be able to work for the people and implement various pro-public works. I'm confident you will give us strength," Kharge said. "They are already making efforts to win Karnataka. So, I urge all our leaders to go to villages, travel across the state and attract people towards our party, like BJP, Modi, Shah (Union Home Minister Amit Shah) and their Ministers do. My advice to all party men is to work together, if we don't do it, it's like betraying the people," he added.
The veteran leader, who is on a maiden visit to his home town of Kalaburagi, after taking over as the AICC chief, was addressing a mega gathering here. Making it clear that the party's high command will decide as to who will become the CM or Ministers, Kharge said, "if we fight among ourselves, we may lose what we may get. So all of us should unite."
Pointing to Congress' victory in the Himachal Pradesh assembly polls, he said, "... It should repeat in Karnataka also, everyone should join hands and march forward, my support is with you. I won't say that I don't want this person or that, whoever it may be, I want the Congress party and the Congress government here."
The AICC chief's strong call for unity has come as Congress seems to be faction-ridden, especially with the top two leaders-State President D K Shivakumar, and Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah- nursing Chief Ministerial ambitions in the event of the party coming to power, and are indulging in a game of political one-upmanship.
Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah, AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, were among several top party leaders present at the event. Earlier, Kharge on his arrival was taken in a procession for four to five kilometres here. Noting that the Congress has always been winning majority seats in the Kalyana-Karnataka region, Kharge said, "I have come here as AICC President, I had never desired nor asked for it. Many times without asking I have got positions, which I have managed with your support and blessings." (Agency inputs)
