Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said his government would roll out a new education policy for Karnataka instead of the NEP in the next academic year.
Karnataka Congress leaders at the party's General Body Meeting in Bengaluru on Monday, 14 August, 2023. (Supplied)
In a bid to put dissent and internal rumblings to rest, the Karnataka unit of the Congress is looking to effect a big leadership rejig at the party level.
With several senior MLAs and leaders miffed with ministers in the Siddaramaiah Cabinet who are holding multiple positions in the party as well, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and the state’s Congress unit president DK Shivakumar is looking to accommodate seniors in party positions.
Shivakumar was addressing party workers during the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) General Body Meeting at the Bharat Jodo Bhavan behind the KPCC headquarters in Bengaluru on Monday.
“There will be a rejig in KPCC in the coming days. Changes will be made from block to district and KPCC level. Some ministers that are holding positions in the party will be dropped and new faces will be given an opportunity at the earliest,” he said.
Responding to allegations of “commission”, he announced that he would retire from politics if the charges against him were proven.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that his government would abolish the new National Education Policy (NEP) and roll out a new policy for Karnataka in the next academic year.
In the KPCC General Body Meeting, the chief minister and deputy chief minister expressed gratitude to all the party workers for striving hard in ensuring party victory in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Polls.
ಭಾರತ್ ಜೋಡೋ ಸಭಾಂಗಣದಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಕೆಪಿಸಿಸಿ ಸರ್ವ ಸದಸ್ಯರ ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಪಿಸಿಸಿ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರು ಹಾಗೂ ಡಿಸಿಎಂ @DKShivakumar, ಸಿಎಂ @siddaramaiah, ಮಾಜಿ ಸಿಎಂ @moilyv, ಕೆಪಿಸಿಸಿ ಕಾರ್ಯಾಧ್ಯಕ್ಷರಾದ @eshwar_khandre, @RLR_BTM, @SaleemAhmadINC, @BNChandrappa1, ಸಚಿವರಾದ @thekjgeorge, @INCKHMuniyappa, @dineshgrao… pic.twitter.com/8IImRaZXgx
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) August 14, 2023
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the KPCC is likely to rejig the state party unit by accommodating disgruntled veterans and other party leaders in various positions.
Stating the party would do a rejig in the coming days, Shivakumar said: “Our goal is not limited to 2024, but extends to 2028. Your cooperation is essential for this. Stay patient and focused.”
He added: “In the coming days, changes will be made in the party from the block level to the district and even at the KPCC level. Some ministers that are holding the positions in the party will need to be replaced. Revamp will occur from the block to the district and the state level.”
He continued: “After the election results, we called a party workers’ meeting. I want to extend my congratulations to all the leaders who contributed by providing support for the 2023 Assembly election results. With your united effort, we achieved a significant victory for the party — the biggest in the state after 1989. With this stellar victory, the door for the BJP has been shut in southern India.”
ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ ಕೆಪಿಸಿಸಿ ಕಚೇರಿ ಬಳಿಯ ಭಾರತ್ ಜೋಡೊ ಸಭಾಂಗಣದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಂದು ನಡೆದ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್‌ ಸರ್ವ ಸದಸ್ಯರ ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮಾತನಾಡಿದೆ. ಕಾಂಗ್ರೆಸ್‌ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರು, ನಾಯಕರ ಶ್ರಮದಿಂದಾಗಿ ಇಂದು ಉತ್ತಮ ಫಲಿತಾಂಶ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದೆ. ನಾವು ತೆಗೆದುಕೊಂಡ ನಿರ್ಧಾರಗಳು ಸರಿಯಾಗಿವೆ ಎಂಬುದಕ್ಕೆ ಚುನಾವಣೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಫಲಿತಾಂಶವೇ ಉತ್ತರ.
ಆದರೆ… pic.twitter.com/3AuE3YfH5j— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) August 14, 2023
He said: “It is well known that you have many questions in your mind about what benefits you would get from the party. During the election period, thousands of applications were submitted. We could not provide opportunities to everyone. The outcome of our selection is the witness. We do not claim that all our choices are correct.”
Shivakumar continued: “The idea that we will win everywhere must be removed from your mind. Just as before the election, we worked hard to defeat the BJP and other parties, we now need to support the government and organise the party.”
Urging the workers to prepare for the Lok Sabha polls, he said: “We need to attract more members from other parties in each booth and increase our voter base. Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge have provided us with guidance on the Lok Sabha election. We need to work together.”
Shivakumar reiterated that the state government was ready to conduct district and taluka-level as well as BBMP elections.
Shivakumar said: “Our next challenges are the district, taluk panchayat, and municipal elections. The municipal election issue was resolved on Sunday as the court’s deadline ended. We have acted correctly in this matter. The BJP government made 243 wards, but there were legal differences. We have rectified it. We have formed a separate committee for this purpose.”
He explained: “A decision has been taken for the formation of 225 wards. In the coming days, an opportunity will be provided to present objections. After that, we will submit it to the court. We need to be prepared to face any election that comes our way.”
He continued: “With regard to the district and taluka-level elections, we informed minister Priyanka Kharge, and he has also formed committees. If the court grants permission for both of these elections, we are ready to hold the elections. Some people suggested conducting these elections after the Lok Sabha polls. But we will conduct these elections if and only if the court allows.”
Responding to allegations that he had demanded “commission” — a part of the payment that government contractors were to get from the state for works done and services rendered — from some parties, Shivakumar said: “If anyone proves that I have taken or even demanded commission from contractors, I will retire from politics.”
He added: “The Opposition parties have not been able to digest the election results. The BJP has also been unable to appoint a Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. Nevertheless, it continues to level unfounded allegations at the government.”
Referring to the Congress’ five poll guarantees, which are being credited with the party winning the Karnataka Assembly polls, Shivakumar said: “Initially, they criticised the guarantee schemes. Among the five guarantee schemes, we have implemented four and provided answers to their criticisms through our work. Now they are falsely accusing me and minister Chaluvarayaswamy of demanding commission. Corruption worth ₹117 crore has been uncovered in one segment during the BJP’s tenure, as per the reports of Lokayukta.”
He added: “Former chief ministers had assured the Assembly that we would see a legal investigation adhering to the law. We have now initiated a committee to undergo a legal investigation.”
Shivakumar continued: “In the backdrop of allegations of corruption in the BBMP, the chief minister has said that we should show our sincerity and make bill payments. They levelled commission allegations against us as soon as the investigation began. I will not engage in activities that demean the self-esteem — either of the party or the government.”
Meanwhile, Siddaramaiah said that the NEP would be done away with from the next academic year. Addressing party workers, Siddaramaiah said: “The NEP implemented by the previous BJP government will be completely cancelled from the next academic year. It must be abolished after making some necessary preparations.
He noted: “The academic year had begun by the time the election results were out and the government was formed. The NEP was continued this year to avoid inconvenience to the students in the middle of the year. It has been opposed by students, parents, lecturers, and teachers simultaneously. The BJP sacrificed the interest of the students by implementing the NEP in the state even before other states implemented it in the country.”
He also said that his government would roll out a new education policy in the next academic year.
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