Bengaluru: Piqued over ruling party ministers not visiting the party office in districts as well as the party headquarters in the city, Bengaluru Urban district Congress president, S.T. Somashekhar reportedly shot off a letter to both Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dr G. Parameshwar and Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah on Sunday complaining that ministers should be given “proper” instructions to visit party offices in the respective districts.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior leader in the party observed that the much needed shake-up ahead of the party’s comeback bid in 2018 is shaping up and Mr Somashekar seem to have taken a lead to highlight this issue.
“On the one hand, the party has drawn-up several plans to galvanize its workers to achieve the desired goals but at the same time, there is no help coming from the government side, as more than half a dozen ministers have not even visited the party headquarters in the city, which is just a stone’s throw away from Vidhana Soudha. This is hurting many loyal Congress party leaders a lot, therefore, a section of party leaders might have thrown their weight behind Mr Somashekar asking him to write such a letter, ” the source added.
This allegation has been doing the rounds for the last two and a half years and several ruling party legislators had raised this innumerable times during the Congress Legislature party meetings. Mr Siddaramaiah had promised them that he would instruct his ministerial colleagues to follow the party norms.
Mr Siddaramaiah’s cabinet colleagues such as — Public Works minister Dr H. C. Mahadevappa, Co-operation minister, H. S. Mahdevprasad and Agriculture minister, Krishna Byregowda — have not visited the KPCC office even once.
None of the newly inducted ministers including Congress party veteran and revenue minister, Kagodu Thimmappa, Congress party veteran, M. Mallikarjuna Kharge’s son, Priyank Kharge, party stalwart, Shaymanooru Shivashankarappa’s son, S.S. Mallikarjun and Primary and Secondary education minister, Tanveer Sait have visited the KPCC office even once after they were sworn in as ministers two months ago.
Congress party leaders and Bengaluru Development minister, K.J. George, Planning and Statistics minister, M.R. Seetharam, Housing minister, A. Krishnappa and Labour minister, Santhosh Lad too have not visited the party office in Bengaluru after they were sworn in as ministers.
The source observed that several leaders in the party were angry with ministers who have not even once visited the party office in the city to hear the grievances of party leaders. “Although, legislators on several occasions raised this issue during their meetings with both Dr Parameshwar and Mr Siddaramaiah, both have miserably failed to bring these erring ministers on track. Therefore, Mr Somashkhar seems to have seized an opportunity to highlight the plight of several leaders in the state,” the source said.
