K’taka Cong holds strategy meet; Surjewala calls Bommai ‘most incompetent CM’

PTI, Aug 17, 2022, 9:16 AM IST

Bengaluru: Terming Basavaraj Bommai the “most incompetent Chief Minister” in the entire country, Congress national General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on Tuesday said his party has taken a resolve not to back down, until and unless it is able to throw out the BJP government in Karnataka, with the blessings of the people.

The AICC in-charge of Karnataka along with the party’s state leadership, held a key meeting to discuss the current political situation and strategy in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly polls.

According to party sources, they are said to have discussed the strategy to be adopted during the next six months and issue-based campaigns to be held across the state, leading up to the polls.

“Senior leaders of the party today held discussions on the political situation prevailing in the state. The conclusion of the discussion is that the Bommai government has utterly failed in upholding the law and order situation in the state. The state has been pushed into lawlessness,” Surjewala said.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, he said, all this has happened because Karnataka has the “most incompetent Chief Minister” in the entire country, and that person happens to be Bommai himself.

“Bommai leads a corrupt government, a 40 per cent commission government, and he also heads a government where the state has gone into a disarray on account of complete lawlessness. Organised goons and organised groups are killing people, they are killing BJP’s own leaders and stabbing people, and some of it is inspired and sponsored by BJP to polarise and divide society,” he added.

Along with Surjewala, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, state party chief D K Shivakumar, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council B K Hariprasad, Campaign Committee Chief M B Patil, Working Presidents and senior leaders were part of Tuesday’s meeting, that was also attended by poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu, who is also the member of the party’s ‘Task Force-2024’.

Surjewala further said, what happened in Mangaluru and what is happening in Shivamogga reflects an utter failure of the Chief Minister and the law and order situation in the state, as he alleged that some of these elements are sponsored and encouraged by the BJP and the Bommai government.

Pointing at Law Minister J C Madhuswamy’s leaked telephonic conversation, he asked, “what happens to a government when its own law minister says that there is no semblance of government whatsoever? What happens to a government where one minister is abusing the other minister?” “Should such a government even remain in power for a minute?” he said, adding that the sooner with the blessings of the people of Karnataka, it is thrown out, the better it would be.

Meanwhile, KPCC campaign committee chairperson M B Patil said he would begin the first phase of his state-wide tour from Kalaburagi on August 19.

The former Minister, who would meet lawmakers, former ministers and local leaders during the tour, is also expected to visit temples, mutts, mosques, dargahs and churches to woo all sections of the society.