Cong will launch agitation against BJP, JD-S
The Congress has prepared an action plan for Karnataka and will launch agitation against both the BJP and the Janata Dal (S) in the light of a report of the Lokayukta, Justice N. Santosh Hegde, on the mining scam.
The Congress does not want to be soft on the JD(S), whose leader and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is learnt to have figured in the Lokayukta’s report, yet to be sent to the state government. A section of the Congress strongly feels that the BJP came to power in the state because the H.D. Deve Gowda-led party had shared power with it and thus gave it the political space.
The Congress’ strategy is to discredit the BJP government in Karnataka as long as it remains in power.
The attack will not be confined to chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, but to the saffron party which is known for applying double standards and indulge in double talk on key issues, sources revealed.
All-India Congress Committee general secretary and in-charge of the party affairs in Karnataka Madhusudan Mistry on Tuesday said: “The party workers will take out torch processions and organise protest march at district level in Karnataka once the Lokayukta gives his report on the mining scam.”
He further said the Congress would press for recovering money from those named in the report and if they don’t pay then seize their property.
Asked whether the Congress is ready to face elections if the Yeddyurappa government recommends dissolution of the Assembly, Mr Mistry said that the Congress was ready for a electoral battle. The Karnataka BJP has symbolised scams, corruption and nepotism, he said.
The Congress is confident of regaining lost ground in the state at a time when it is losing ground in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
The Congress’ Union ministers from the state and the central leaders are expected to spend more time in Karnataka than in New Delhi after realising that the BJP is on the defensive and will get isolate at the national level if it does not remove Mr Yeddyurappa.
Union ministers S.M. Krishna, M. Veerappa Moily, Mallikarjun Kharge and K.H. Muniappa will be involved more in the organisational work in the coming months.
On the other hand, the Congress will seek to make inroads among the middle-class, writers, artists and intellectuals.
It will organise small meetings of these sections for better communication. “We have to sustain the campaign so long as the BJP is in power,” said a senior leader.
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