Second-rung Congress leaders demand their share of power

Bangalore, Jun 29: The second-rung leaders and workers of State Congress party on Saturday demanded that the party leadership should give them their share of power by nominating them to various boards, corporations and district and taluk level committees of the State government.

Though the party came to power over a year ago, nominations to boards and corporations have not been done.

Only senior leaders have managed to get important positions.

The party remembers the workers only at the time of elections, several of the second-rung leaders learnt to have complained at a State-level delegates ' meeting held at the Palace Grounds.

Senior leaders including AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Digvijay Singh, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC chief G Parameshwara, ministers and MLAs participated in the two-day meeting aimed at examining reasons for the party 's defeat in the Lok Sabha polls and chalking out plans to strengthen it.

Participants were given opportunity to suggest ways to strengthen the party at the meeting, which was a closed-door affair.

The meeting will continue on Sunday. Prominently, women leaders are learnt to have demanded adequate representation to them in boards and corporations.

Though the party leadership promised to give 50 per cent reservation to women in State Assemblies and Parliament, it has failed to implement it.

Proper representation was not given to fairer sex in the recently held elections to Upper Houses of State legislature and Parliament, they complained.

They attributed the party not getting lead in about 150 Assembly constituencies in the Lok Sabha polls to number of reasons, including loyal workers not getting recognition, district in charge ministers not interacting with party workers and taking decisions on the basis of caste considerations.

As far as the party government is concerned, there was not much of dissatisfaction among the delegates. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao gave a presentation on the achievements of his department in the last one year.

Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and Education Minister Kimmane Ratnakar are scheduled to give a presentation of their departments on Sunday.

Earlier, addressing the meeting, Digvijay Singh hinted at bring in changes in party organisation.

Party vice president Rahul Gandhi has strengthened the youth Congress by conducting organisational elections to the youth wing. Similar exercise has to be done at the State level.

Kharge compared Digvijay Singh, Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara to Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara and asked the party leaders to build the party under their leadership.