Karnataka Cong. dissolved; state chief, working president retained

New Delhi/Bengaluru, June 19 (PTI): Amid growing rumblings within the Karnataka Congress, the grand old party dissolved its unit in the southern state on Wednesday, while retaining its president and working president.

“The AICC has decided to dissolve the present committee of (the) Karnataka Pradesh Congress. The president and working president remain unchanged,” a statement issued by AICC general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said.

Rumblings within the Karnataka Congress have grown ever since the Lok Sabha poll debacle in the state. There have also been problems of coordination in the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government in the southern state. Voices of dissent have been growing in the Karnataka Congress for some time now due to differences over the functioning of the coalition government in the state, even as the Congress and JD(S) leadership have been accusing the BJP and its leader Y S Yeddyurappa of luring their leaders to topple the coalition government.

Two members of the Congress were recently inducted in the Karnataka cabinet.

State Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao said dissolution of the KPCC would pave the way for reorganization of the party at all levels and would create an opportunity for new leaders.

The intention is to reorganize the party at the state, district and block levels, which is important, Rao said, adding he along with party’s Working President Eshwar Khandre would have to start reorganising and strengthening the party.

He said discussions will be held with legislature party leader Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara, AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal and others about the way forward.

“We will look for giving opportunity to new leadership in the party. Those loyal to the party and honest workers will be identified and given an opportunity in the organization.

“We have also started working towards appointing members to various boards and corporations and it will be finalized in a month,” he said, adding this would instill confidence among workers.

The move comes in the wake of the worst ever Lok Sabha poll performance of the Congress in Karnataka, where the party won only one of the 21 seats it had contested.

Congress’ ruling coalition partner, the JD(S), won one out of the seven parliamentary seats it had contested, while the BJP had swept the polls, bagging 25 out of the 28 seats.

Sources say the move will provide an opportunity to fresh faces towards strengthening the organisation from the grass root level.

Meanwhile, Yeddyurappa refuted Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s allegation that the BJP was attempting to bribe JD(S) legislators and asked him to name those involved.

“If the chief minister did not give out the names before levelling such allegations, it will be seen as he is suspecting his own party MLAs,” Yeddyurappa said and claimed the chief minister was making allegations against the BJP “out of desperation.”

Senior Karnataka legislator R Roshan Baig, who was suspended by the Congress on Tuesday night for “anti-party” activities, said he was a “disciplined soldier of the party” and was being punished for speaking the truth.

Asserting that his comments against state Congress leaders were the opinion of the party workers, Baig said he was in the Indian National Congress headed by Rahul Gandhi and “not in the Siddu (Siddaramaiah) Congress”.

“Last night, I got the information that I have been suspended from the party… Is it a crime to speak the truth? What I have said is the truth,” Baig asserted.

Claiming that he had not criticised Gandhi, Baig told reporters, “My criticism of state leaders is true. Is speaking the truth a crime?”

Hitting out at Karnataka Congress leaders for the party’s dismal show in the Lok Sabha polls, Baig had recently held Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah’s “arrogance” and Dinesh Gundu Rao’s “immaturity” responsible for the “flop show”.

He had also called party General Secretary K C Venugopal a “buffoon”.

Baig had dropped hints of quitting the party and appealed to Muslims to “compromise” with the situation on the BJP-led NDA returning to power at the Centre.

The seven-time MLA and former Karnataka minister has been unhappy with the state Congress leadership over not being included in the coalition cabinet headed by Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.