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A day after suspending senior Congressman and Shivajinagar MLA R Roshan Baig, the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) dissolved the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). The AICC, however, retained State Party President Dinesh Gundu Rao and Working President Eshwar Khandre.
A statement issued by AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said, “The AICC has decided to dissolve the present committee of (the) Karnataka Pradesh Congress. The President and Working President remain unchanged.”
The sudden move by the party high command has surprised party workers and is being seen as an exercise to revamp the party’s State unit after it lost majority of the Lok Sabha seats and could secure just oneseat in the elections held in April-May.
Its coalition partner Janata Dal (Secular), too, got a drubbing in the elections as it could retain just one seat. The BJP swept the State winning 25 of the 28 seats. Immediately after the Lok Sabha elections, KPCC campaign committee president HK Patil had quit the post.
This move to dissolve the KPCC comes on the heels of two independent MLAs getting inducted in the Karnataka Cabinet.
According to a senior party member, party’s decision comes after workers aired their views in public and voices of dissent grew. A few groups also mounted pressure on the party high command.
District, block committees
Addressing reporters, Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “As part of reorganisation, we will be dissolving the district and block committees as well. “It’ll be a total reorganisation of the party at all levels in the State.”
Roshan Baig, a four-time MLA representing the Shivajinagar Assembly constituency in Bengaluru, is a senior Muslim leader. His outburst had embarrassed the senior State leaders.
He had said: “Siddaramaiah’s arrogance and indulgence in dividing religion and blaming particular religious leaders, and his style of functioning contributed to the party’s debacle in the Assembly elections and now in the Lok Sabha polls.”
He had also demanded resignations of Siddaramaiah and Gundu Rao— Gundu Rao for owning the moral responsibility for the poor performance of the party.
On Wednesday, Baig told reporters that his comments against the party leaders were the truth and also the opinion of other party workers. “I have not spoken against our AICC President Rahul Gandhi,” he said.
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