Karnataka Congress’ ‘100-day plan’ to focus on yatra, unity, local leadership ahead of polls

Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC)  president DK Shivakumar, working presidents including MLA Ramalinga Reddy and MLC Saleem Ahmed, and other committee leaders were present at the meeting.

“We discussed what the party needs to do over the next 100 days to focus our energies on the upcoming elections. We are planning statewide agitation on region-specific issues and delayed projects. We will also go on a statewide yatra in January,” Shivakumar told reporters after the meeting.

Warning against factionalism

It was the first official party meeting chaired by the AICC on the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls, and came after Kharge shot off a warning to all Karnataka Congress leaders on the repercussions of factionalism during a grand homecoming event in Kalaburagi on Saturday.

Kharge is said to have reiterated in Monday’s meeting that there would be no room for dissent in the party.

Announcing that preparations were underway for the 2023 Karnataka Assembly polls, Kharge said: “The Congress always cares for the welfare of the people of Karnataka with populist ideas. The party will go to the people with development and progressive thoughts in the upcoming Assembly polls.”

He tweeted: “I discussed with Karnataka’s Congress unit leaders about the outlines of the elections, about the aspirations of the people.”

ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್ ಪಕ್ಷವು ಸದಾ ಜನಪರ ಆಲೋಚನೆಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಜನರ ಅಭ್ಯುದಯಕ್ಕೆ ಚಿಂತಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.

ಮುಂಬರುವ ವಿಧಾನಸಭಾ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಪ್ರಗತಿಪರ ಚಿಂತನೆಗಳೊಂದಿಗೆ ಜನರ ಬಳಿ ಹೋಗಲು ಸಿದ್ಧತೆಗಳು ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿವೆ.

ಇಂದು @INCKarnataka ನಾಯಕರೊಂದಿಗೆ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯ ರೂಪುರೇಷೆಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ, ಜನರ ಆಶೋತ್ತರಗಳ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಚರ್ಚಿಸಲಾಯಿತು. pic.twitter.com/UcZqzpVPWc

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) December 12, 2022

In an over-two-hour closed-door meeting, the party high command gave its nod to carry out a bus yatra under the headship of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in all the 224 Assembly segments in Karnataka.

The party also held a detailed discussion on finding suitable candidates for all the segments at the earliest.

Leaders to hop on bus yatra 

KPCC working president and MLC Saleem Ahmed told South First: “On the consent of the party high command, the state unit will kick-start the bus yatra, which is yet to be named, from 9 January, 2023.”

He added: “The high command has made it clear that the yatra will be carried out only under the headship of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar.”

Ahmed also stressed the fact that while the BJP was severely dependent on its Central leadership — including Prime Minister Narendra Modi — to lead its campaign this time, the Congress was placing its trust in the capabilities of the state leadership.

“In the yatra, we will highlight the scams and poor governance of the BJP government in the state,” said Ahmed.

“We will also carry out massive rallies on Mahadayi and other major issues, where the government has failed to deliver its promises, of the state. This is a 75-day-long yatra,” he added.

Congress candidate list in January

On the party’s tentative candidates list, Ahmed said: “The party high command has decided to set up the Pradesh Congress Committee to find the appropriate candidates for the Assembly polls. The tall leaders of the party will be part of this committee and finalise the candidates.”

He added: “The party is likely to release the tentative candidates’ list for 150 Assembly segments by the first week of January.”

“The candidates for the remaining 74 assembly segments are expected to be announced by the end of the bus yatra,” Ahmed confirmed to South First.

It may also be noted that the KPCC in November invited applications from aspirants seeking party tickets to contest the 2023 Assembly polls. It was also mandatory for the sitting MLAs to submit their applications.

The party received an overwhelming response as over 1,200 aspirants from the 224 Assembly segments submitted applications.