Forget Bhagyas, focus on development: Congress to Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Concerned over the steady decline in popularity of the Congress Government in Karnataka, the party high command is understood to have told Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to focus on development rather than announcing populist schemes, which are bleeding the state exchequer.

Sources close to the CM told Deccan Chronicle that the party had seriously taken note of lack of development in the last 18 months ever since Mr Siddaramaiah assumed office.

The high command is learnt to have told Mr Siddaramaiah no more 'bhagya' as the government had implemented populist schemes like 'Anna Bhagya', 'Shaadi Bhagya', 'Ksheera Bhagya' and 'dantha bhagya' in the last 18 months. Need of the hour was to focus only on development and nothing else.

“In the wake of this, the CM is unlikely to announce any more populist schemes in the budget for year 2015-16,” sources said.

A number of legislators and ministers have reportedly complained to AICC President Sonia Gandhi and party national Vice President Rahul Gandhi about the palpable ‘disillusionment’ among the public about the Congress due to the slow pace of development.

The party had pinned lot of hopes on Mr Siddaramaiah at the time of his induction into the party as well as making him the chief minister.

But now the party seems to be worried about his lack of interest in building party as well as in his commitment to deliver the goods as promised during the assembly polls.

Sources said the debacle of Congress party in all the elections held since the Lok Sabha polls is a big worry for the party high command. In fact, Karnataka is one among few states where the Congress Party is currently in power. 

“Our party is yet to come out of the shocking defeat in Jammu & Kashmir and Jharkhand. It is a warning for everyone to pull up the socks and focus on building the party,” sources added.

A senior minister in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet admitted that the party’s image has dented in the last one-and-a-half years. The electorate voted for the party with a hope that they will provide a clean administration unlike the previous scam-hit BJP government.

Unfortunately, nothing is happening in the State except in (open) fighting over the appointment of chairpersons to various boards and corporations.

“There is a feeling that Mr Siddaramaiah is pushing his own agenda of promoting ‘Ahinda’ than that of the party. Any delay may affect the party prospects in the coming elections to the BBMP,” the minister added.

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The CM has been reportedly asked to have control over his council of ministers like Modi and pull them up for mistakes or inefficiency. Unfortunately Mr Siddaramaiah hardly interacts with his cabinet colleagues.

Recently, the CM was very much upset by the way some of his ministers were ripped apart by the opposition members during the winter session of the State Legislature.

The intervention by senior ministers  prevented what could have been an awkward situation for Mr Siddaramaiah.