KPCC leaders favour state-specific alliances

Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao on Sunday made a strong pitch for strengthening the organisation in the state by bringing in “good people” and involving party workers in the decision- making process.

Gundu Rao and former chief minister Siddaramaiah also favoured state-specific alliances for the Lok Sabha elections to defeat the “fascist forces.” Siddaramaiah was made a member of the Congress Working Committee by Congress president Rahul Gandhi when he re-constituted the party’s top decision-making body last week.

Gundu Rao is understood to have said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised emotional issues in the recent Karnataka elections to derail the Congress campaign that focussed on development issues.

He said the Congress also needed to win the perception battle and deliver on development goals to deliver a better performance in the upcoming elections.

Decision-making process

Gundu Rao said that the Congress has to ensure that views of party workers get due weightage and value in the decision-making process which should not be “leadership centric.” He is also known to have favoured induction of good people in important party positions to strengthen the organisation.

Both the leaders, who participated in the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, said that the party has to gear up to crush communal forces across the country. They also stressed that the Congress should play a lead role in forging an anti-BJP front.

Rahul is learnt to have asked state Congress presidents to make suggestions on possible alliance partners in every state.

Congress had sprung a surprise by entering into a post-poll alliance with JD(S) in Karnataka to keep the BJP away from power by offering the chief minister’s post to H D Kumaraswamy. The immediate challenge for the Congress is to forge alliances for Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan Assembly elections. BSP is keen on having an alliance with the Congress in all the three states.