Karnataka Ministers in Delhi as Congress convenes meet to discuss strategies for LS elections
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Ministers on Thursday headed to New Delhi to attend a meeting convened by the central leadership of the Congress to discuss strategies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the State.
Ministers K N Rajanna, K J George, B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, G Parameshwara, Laxmi Hebbalkar, N S Boseraju and R B Thimmapur are among those who flew to the national capital in the morning, Congress sources said.
"The information we have is that 29 ministers have been summoned to Delhi to discuss strategies," a senior Congress leader told PTI.
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According to him, the key focus this time is to identify the right candidates, and find ways to counter the Rama temple issue so that it does not adversely affect the party's poll prospects in Karnataka.
"The ministers will be asked to publicise the five guarantees (pre-poll promises of the party) and various other welfare schemes of the state government. Our key strength in the Lok Sabha election is our five guarantees, which no other state has implemented," the Congress leader claimed.
While Rama temple may come up for discussion, the Congress leader said the party is not unduly worried about it.
"We are not very much thinking about the Ram Temple issue because the Hindu community itself is divided with four Shankaracharyas reportedly not attending the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya on January 22," a Congress source said.
He also underlined that the demand by some Ministers that three deputy chief ministers should be appointed in Karnataka may not come up for discussion in the meeting.
"Our party president (M) Mallikarjun Kharge has snubbed the ministers and MLAs demanding it. He has strictly told them not to raise this issue till the elections are over," the source said.
The Congress put up a dismal show in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, where it won just one of the total 28 seats.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
