From grants to grouse with ministers: Karnataka Cong MLAs brief Surjewala amid 'disgruntlement'

Bengaluru: Amid disgruntlement in the ruling dispensation in Karnataka, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday kickstarted his three-day ‘review’ of the party and government by meeting lawmakers, an exercise that could result in political and administrative changes.

This stock-taking exercise is said to have put ministers on tenterhooks as they are worried about MLAs giving Surjewala adverse feedback about their performance.

Surjewala, who oversees the party's affairs in Karnataka, spent 20 minutes with each MLA from Kolar and Chikkaballapur. On Tuesday and Wednesday, he will meet MLAs from Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru South (Ramanagara), Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Hassan, Chikmagalur and Kodagu districts.

“Whatever report (Surjewala) gives will become the basis for us to take a decision on what to do going forward,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Surjewala asked MLAs a battery of questions such as: What have you done in your constituency in the last two years? What is the quantum of grants you received? How are ministers performing? Are the ‘guarantee’ schemes being implemented properly? How is the district party president functioning?

Senior lawmaker BR Patil, who rocked the government’s boat last week by saying that public housing units are allotted based on bribery, met Surjewala. “I told him everything. He made a note of everything. What he and the party does is up to them,” the Aland MLA said.

Another ‘disgruntled’ MLA Raju Kage (Kagwad), who slammed the government for lack of grants, is scheduled to meet Surjewala on Tuesday.

According to sources, some MLAs criticised the functioning of ministers. They said the ministers were inaccessible and indifferent.

MLAs like Roopakala M (KGF) told Surjewala about constituency grants. “It’s true that the ‘guarantee’ schemes are taking away 60 per cent of grants. After that, we need to ensure development of our constituencies,” she said.

Kolar MLG Kothur G Manjunath said Surjewala grilled him. “The first thing he asked me was to explain what I had done for my constituency in the last two years,” he said.

Introspection

Earlier in the day, Surjewala said his meeting with MLAs was an “introspection” with the government having completed two years.

“We want to know from our MLAs the status of the guarantees in their constituencies,” he said. “We also want to understand what should be the course of the government, what further people-friendly things the government can do," he said, adding that ministers will be told what to do based on the feedback.