AICC Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala, who began one-on-one consultations with Congress MLAs on Monday, ruled out speculations about a possible leadership change in the state, even as party president Mallikarjun Kharge said any decision on a change of guard was in the high command’s hands.
“.. (talks) about some leadership change etc is only a figment of your imagination,” Surjewala said responding to media queries.
The AICC general secretary is in Bengaluru till Wednesday to hold interactions with MLAs and ministers in the Karnataka government.
The meetings were scheduled in the wake of Congress MLAs’ complaints of corruption in a housing scheme and lack of funds for developmental work.
Surjewala said he would meet the legislators one by one. “We want to know the status of Congress guarantees in their constituencies (and whether) any improvements that are required. (We will discuss) what further transparency and accountability can be brought in,” he said.
Ruling out any discussions on leadership transition, he said that meetings with MLAs were just an organisational exercise “or introspection”.
Among the legislators whom Surjewala met was Aland MLA B R Patil, who is also deputy chairman of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission. He had recently put the Congress government in a spot of bother after alleging that houses built by Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Limited were sanctioned over the payment of bribes. The government has denied the allegations.
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After his meeting with Surjewala that lasted close to 40 minutes, the MLA said he was summoned by the party high command. “I have said whatever I had to say. He has taken note of it. Whatever decision they take is left to them and to the party,” Patil said.
Kharge told reporters that Surjewala was holding consultations and that the Congress high command would act based on his report. To a question about speculation that the leadership would change the chief minister in October, the party president said, “That is in the hands of the high command. Nobody can say here what is going on in the high command. The high command has powers to take further action.”
Kharge added that “one should not create problems unnecessarily”, apparently referring to statements made by Congress leaders in the state.
Kothur Manjunath (Kolar), Pradeep Eshewar (Chikkaballapur), Roopakala Shashidhar (KGF), S N Narayanaswamy (Bangarapet), and Subbareddy (Bagepalli), as well as K H Puttaswamy Gowda (Gauribidanur), an independent MLA backing the Congress, were the other legislators whom Surjewala met.
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During the next two days, Surjewala is scheduled to hold consultations with legislators from the old Mysore region.
Kagwad MLA Raju Kage, who was scheduled to meet Surjewala on Monday, will meet the AICC general secretary on Tuesday. He had alleged that development funds were not being released and that “administration has completely failed” in Karnataka.