I’m ready to quit: Parameshwar

[1]

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G. Parameshwar said on Saturday that he was ready to give up his post, but the party would not make changes at the top at a time when it was gearing up to face next year’s elections to the Legislative Assembly.

Speaking to the media here, he said several leaders in the state unit were mounting pressure on senior leaders in New Delhi to secure key posts and were not serious aspirants for the position held by him.

He, however, would step down if the high command decides to replace him with another leader. “Several leaders are demanding suitable posts for themselves. The party high command will take an appropriate decision in this regard. I am confident that there will be no change of guard in the state as we have already started preparations for the Assembly elections,” he added. Dr Parameshwar said the party’s leaders would collectively campaign during the Assembly polls. In fact, the state unit has started the exercise of selection of candidates, and would pick those with clean reputation and enjoy the trust of people in their respective constituencies.

Holding instability as the reason for bad governance and corruption in the ruling party, the KPCC chief said infighting would continue as former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was embarrassing Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar by levelling charges against the government. Such caustic statements against his successor and the government would have an adverse effect on developmental schemes, he added.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, Siddaramaiah, who also visited Hubli on Saturday, ruled out change of leadership in the state unit. Though Mr Siddaramaiah has complained about the style of functioning of KPCC president Dr G Parameshwar to senior party leaders in New Delhi on several occasions, he told media persons that the high command was not contemplating anything change in the state unit.

Training his guns on the state government, he said former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa continued to function as ‘super Chief Minister’ and was often calling the shots and giving directions to Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar. He charged that the state government failed to launch drought relief measures despite sufficient funds released by the Union government under Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (MGREGS). “The government has failed to mitigate the impact of drought and check migration of people from rural areas,” he added.