Will pick CM after polls: KC Venugopal
It is your duty to defend the party and the government's policies. K.C. Venugopal said.
Bengaluru: Holding the cards close to his chest, AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka, K.C. Venugopal on Friday said the Congress would face the coming state polls under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s leadership, but it would take a decision on the next Chief Minister after the elections should it return to power for a second term.
Participating in the Special Legislators’ Party meeting at the Vidhana Soudha here, Mr Venugopal warned legislators and other party leaders against making public statements on the issue and made no secret of his displeasure at some party leaders and ministers not coming to the defence of the government when necessary.
Reminding them that they enjoyed power and headed boards and corporations only because the Congress ruled the state, he told them, “It is your duty to defend the party and the government's policies.”
Also stressing on the need to use social media to reach out to the people ahead of the elections, he advised Congress legislators to be active on it, and even produced a list of MLAs and MLCs, who were already using it and of others who were not.
Noting that the Election Commission could issue a notification on the state elections in either February or March, Mr Venugopal said there was enough time to reach out to people and suggested that booth committees should be formed within a month to cover the 200 to 300 houses attached to each booth.
Mr Siddaramaiah, who was also present, advised legislators not to worry about Prime Minister Narendra Modi or BJP national president, Amih Shah as they could not do a repeat of Uttar Pradesh in Karnataka in his view.
“The situation here is different and you must concentrate on reaching out to the people,” he told them , adding that besides publicising the work of the state government, Congress workers needed to make people aware of the “lies” of the BJP government at the Centre. “Mr Modi only talks while his achievements are zero,” he claimed.
KPCC chief, Dr G Prameshwar, said the party would soon launch the “Congress Naduge Mane Manege” programme to reach out to every house in the state ahead of the poll.