Modi wave will not work now, says Kharge

Leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said the BJP has no base in south India, including Karnataka, and that the scheduled visit of BJP national president Amit Shah to Bengaluru on January 3 will not have any bearing on the State politics.

Speaking to reporters, he said the Lok Sabha elections held last year might have seen the Modi wave, but it will not work now.

“Politics in south India is a different ball game. Here politics is based on principles and not individuals,” he said, reacting to Amit Shah’s visit. Shah is coming to Bengaluru to review the party’s ongoing membership drive.

Asked whether he had any plans to return to State politics, Kharge said he was in the national politics and that the party high command had already given him a responsibility. “I am not in politics for any personal gains. I sincerely discharge any responsibility given by the high command,” he added.

‘No retirement in politics’

Former external affairs minister S M Krishna said he was still active in politics and that he wanted to become more active in coming days. “Like soldiers, there is no retirement for politicians too. Change is common in politics. It is not stagnant. Changes in the State and the Central politics can happen any moment,” he added.

Decreasing prices of crude oil in the international market had become a boon to the developing countries. The Centre and the State governments should make efforts for the common man to enjoy this benefit, he said.

Kharge and Krishna were speaking to reporters after being greeted by KPCC president G Parameshwara on the occasion of new year, at their respective residences.
CLP meet today.

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting has been convened on Friday to discuss about reforms to be brought about in the Panchayat Raj system.

Views of the party legislators will be elicited on the reports submitted by two different committees in this regard – one, headed by senior leader Ramesh Kumar on strengthening Panchayat Raj system and another, headed by Nanjaiah Math on the delimitation of gram panchayat boundaries, Parameshwara said.

The Congress party is committed to strengthening the Panchayat Raj system. So was the reason the State government had appointed these committees. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will chair the day-long CLP meeting scheduled to be held at the Vidhana Soudha, he added.

The legislators are also likely to raise issues related to the style of functioning of certain ministers in the meeting. Many MLAs had openly criticised ministers and even levelled serious charges of corruption against some in the previous CLP meeting held at Belagavi recently. They had urged the chief minister to convene a separate meeting of legislators so that they can air their grievances.

The party sources said that most of the legislators are upset with the government over its recent move to take over mutts in the State. The legislators are most likely to raise the issue in the meeting.

The government tabled an amendment bill in the recently-concluded legislature session to take over mismanaged mutts, drawing criticism from heads of religious institutions.
Asked whether businessman Nandan Nilekani would be getting any position in the government as rumoured, Parameshwara said, “I am not aware because the chief minister has not discussed it with me. Even the appointments made to the KPSC was not discussed with me,” he said.