Congress ready for elections any time, but no possibility of early polls in Karnataka: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, July 19: Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday said the party was ready to face elections in Karnataka at any point of time, but maintained that there is no possibility of early assembly polls.
Amid speculations in the ruling BJP about the possible replacement of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and a purported audio clip indicating that it may become a reality going viral, the Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly said it is good that a "corrupt Chief Minister" is going.
"Congress is ready to face elections at any point of time," he said in response to a question whether the party was ready in case the BJP is unable to handle its internal crisis.
Speaking to reporters here, he said "I don't feel that an early election will take place because if Yediyurappa is removed, another person will be made the Chief Minister.
We are ready to face the election whenever it comes."
The term of the current assembly ends in 2023.
The Congress Legislature Party leader's comments come at a time when an audio clip has surfaced, fuelling a new round of speculation on whether replacing the 78 year-old Chief Minister is on the cards.
The purported audio clip is about Karnataka BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel hinting at a possible leadership change in the state, which he has dismissed as fake.
Siddaramaiah, who has been saying for quite some time now that Yediyurappa will be replaced, said in response to a question on the audio clip that it is good that a corrupt Chief Minister is going.
"I had in the past said that CM will be changed... none of you (media) believed. I had information about this from the beginning.
Also Yediyurappa's is the most corrupt government. Both Yediyurappa and his son are corrupt," he said.
Kateel might have spoken about the discussion that is going on at the high command level, but he has denied stating that it was not his voice, Siddaramaiah pointed out, adding that "There is no plus or minus because of Yediyurappa's replacement..people will decide."
Meanwhile, not willing to comment on his scheduled visit to Delhi to meet the Congress high command, Siddaramaiah said party issues should be discussed at the party forum.
Siddaramaiah and Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar are scheduled to leave for New Delhi on Monday night following a call from the high command.
The visit assumes significance following reports of one- upmanship between the two leaders, especially after a section of MLAs projected Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister if the Congress comes to power.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
