Karnataka Congress forms panel to revamp leadership at block, district level: G C Chandrashekar

Mangaluru: Rajya Sabha member and working president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) G C Chandrashekar said that KPCC has appointed a five-member committee of working presidents to revamp the leadership from block-level Congress committees to district units in all the districts of the state.

The KPCC working presidents G C Chandrashekar, Manjunath Bhandary and Vasanth Kumar were in Mangaluru to interact with block Congress presidents, and presidents of other key units of District Congress in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts as a preparation for revamp.

“The KPCC will revamp block and district committees wherever it is necessary within one and a half months,” he said.

“We are working towards strengthening the party at the grassroots level in DK, Udupi and also in other districts. All the five working presidents of KPCC will visit all the districts to hold talks with the district level, block level leaders and party workers and leaders who had unsuccessfully contested the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections on how to strengthen the party and bring back the past glory,” he told mediapersons in Mangaluru.

He said that the party is also preparing to face the by- election to be held to the Legislative Council from the local bodies for the post which remained vacant after Kota Srinivas Poojary became the Lok Sabha member.

“We will hold discussions with the party leaders from DK and Udupi and take final decision on a candidate to contest the by -election,” he added.

Stating that there is nothing impossible in politics, Chandrashekar said “Inspite of BJP MP failing to bring out a major project to the district in the last 15 years, the BJP has been winning the Lok Sabha seat in Dakshina Kannada district. The works on the National Highways, separate railway division for Mangaluru have remained unfulfilled all theses years.”

“All the MLAs and MP s in DK and Udupi have to work in coordination for the development of the region keeping aside party politics,” he felt.

The party is also preparing for byelection in Shiggaon, Channapatna Sandur Assembly constituencies in the State after the MLAs representing them – former Chief Ministers Basavaraj Bommai, HD Kumaraswamy, and E Tukaram respectively - were successfully elected to the Lok Sabha in the recent elections.

A meeting will be held at Shiggaon on September 21 and Sandur on September 18. The KPCC has constituted a committee headed by G Parameshwara to give representation to those communities and women who have been left out all these years to accomodate in Boards and Corporations.

 Vasanth Kumar said “the Congress is working out strategies to counter BJP effectively in Coastal and Malnad districts.

Manjunath Bhandary said “though Congress has its own vote share in the region, it has failed to get the number to win the election.”

To a query on scams pertaining to Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation and MUDA site allotment impacting the upcoming by elections, Chandrashekar said “scams and allegations are not new for any political parties. We can not rule out its impact on the election. However, we will work out our own strategies.”

On BJP planning padayatra, Chandrashekar said “their padayatra to Mysuru has already failed totally. There are several factions within the BJP.”