Even as major debate was going on in the Congress party about the future of the grand-old party, State Congress leadership here called for rebuilding it from the grassroots. In post-election politics the BJP in its quest to make Congress Mukht Bharat eyeing Karnataka which is the last bastion of the Congress and it has become crucial for the Congress to strive hard to keep the State. It is very visible the State leaders are shaken and worried over 2018 elections which is crucial for the party.
Former foreign minister and senior Congress leader SM Krishna said in statement that workers and leaders needed no panic by the Congress’s defeat in the recently concluded elections in five States and the party would bounce back soon. He said, “the party has emerged victorious in Puducherry and has emerged as the main Opposition in three States of West Bengal, Assam and Kerala. The BJP won juts 67 Assembly seats against the Congress 137 in five States”.
“Why is BJP gloating about as it had been rejected in four out of the five States, while Congress had retained respectable position and vote share in all the States that went to the polls”. “How it is possible to achieve Congress Mukt Bharat,” he questioned BJP.
He said Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi were not solely responsible for the party’s defeats in five States but said it was a collective responsibility of the party. “Instead of tackling poverty, unemployment, inflation, agrarian crisis and infrastructure problems, the ruling BJP at the Centre only propagating “Congress Mukt Bharat”, he alleged.
Krishna recollected that Congress was in similar position to that of 1978 when the party was reduced to power in just Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The party emerged victorious in subsequent Parliamentary and Assembly elections and ruled the country for several years, he said. He called up on the partymen and leaders to build the party from the grassroots.
Meanwhile, Congress leader in the lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge took strong exception to BJP attacking Congress leaders individually for the party’s debacle in the recently Assembly election to five States.
Coming down heavily on ‘Congress-free India’ slogan, Kharge said it was only a day dream of BJP and it would never become true. “People will give a fitting reply if BJP continues its attitude of attacking individual leaders and repeating its slogan,” he added.
Kharge said that the people of the land would not tolerate this type of sloganeering and they would definitely give a befitting reply to this and than the BJP would be back to the beginning when it had only two MP’s. He said in a democratic system winning and losing were very common and the Congress took corrective measures. Kharge said the party assessment had gone wrong both in Assam and Kerala, but it was not right to hold the party’s vice president Rahul Gandhi responsible for the defeat in the two States where the party had hoped to returning to power.
Meanwhile, creating one more controversy senior Congress leader and former Union Minister MV Rajasekharan urged Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to handover the power to Home Minister G Parameshwara and strengthen the hands of Dalits.
“A Chief Minister who gave ‘Anna Bhagya’, ‘Kshera Bhagya’ schemes to help poor and downtrodden can also handover the power to Parameshwara and fulfil the dream of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who always wanted to strengthen the Dalits in the society,” he added.
“No doubt Siddaramaiah is committed and has given a popular Government. let him also sacrifice and make a Dalit as Chief Minister,” Rajasekharan stressed.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President G Parameshwara, who is also Minister for Home, expressing his disappointment over party’s debacle in the recent Assembly election, said that “despite launching most populous programmes Congress has failed to get votes.
“When BJP can come to power thrice in Madhya Pradesh, twice in Rajasthan and again in Gujarat, why did not Congress retain power for the second term. let us forget our internal bickering and work united from now itself for the success of the party in 2018 Assembly election,” Parameshwara said.