Predicting early elections to the state Assembly, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leaders, including Rahul Gandhi are showing interest in the affairs of state Congress where polls are scheduled to be held next year.
According to party sources, the AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who has made it public that he will play a larger role both in party affairs and government at Centre, is summoning several party leaders from the state to New Delhi. He is said to be working on strategies to bring the Congress back to power in state.
The term of the current Assembly will end in May next year. But the elections may be held earlier than expected owing to the political affairs in state. Rahul Gandhi’s keenness in state party affairs has raised many eyebrows in the party circle.
In April, Rahul had visited the state and held several interactive meetings with the youths in many places, including Dharwad, Davanagere and Bangalore. KPCC treasurer and senior leader of the party Shamanur Shivashankarappa was one of the leaders who met Rahul in Delhi on Thursday. “We have conveyed our readings on the prospects of the party’s chances to come back to power and stressed for the need to give leadership to Lingayats, the powerful community in the state,” said Shivashankarappa.
Party sources said that, Rahul who had already quizzed over 15 to 20 party leaders form the state is expected to summon more leaders from various communities.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister and former chief minister S M Krishna also plans to meet party leaders from Kolar, Chikballapur, Bangalore Urban District, and Tumkur to discuss strategies for elections.
During the three-day programme starting July 30, Krishna will interact with all the District Congress Committee presidents, party legislators, former MLAs, local bodies representatives and presidents of various KPCC Cells, in Bangalore.
Party sources also told Express that the Central party leaders have instructed all the Union ministers from the state including Mallikarjuna Kharge, Veerappa Moily and K H Muniyappa to focus on strengthening the party’s rank and file.
Lingayat MLAs to meet on Tuesday
Lingayat MLAs and MLCs from the Congress will meet in a private hotel in the Bangalore on Tuesday evening to urge the party leadership to give Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president’s post to a leader from the community. “We are demanding the high command to make Shamanur Shivashankarappa as the KPCC president. This will help the party to get Lingayat votes during next Assembly elections,” said a Lingayat MLA from Congress on conditions of anonymity. After Tuesday’s meeting, which is expected to be attended by nearly 18 legislators, the Lingayat leaders may take a delegation to New Delhi to meet the senior leaders.
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