CM Siddaramaiah, DCM DK Shivakumar hold meetings with party MLAs
Bengaluru, Aug 7: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar on Monday held marathon meeting with the ministers and MLAs of six districts with a view to strengthen the party base ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and to quell discontent.
The exercise will go on for a week, according to Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president.
The meeting started at about 11 AM at the Chief Minister's offical residence Krishna' and went on till 7 PM, according to sources close to Siddaramaiah.
The Chief Minister and his deptuy spoke to the 31 ministers and legislators from six districts - Tumakuru, Yadgir, Chitradurga, Bagalkote, Ballari and Dharwad.
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Later, Shivakumar told reporters that he and the Chief Minister are reviewing each constituency and are asking the MLAs and ministers about the works to done in their respective constituencies.
During the meeting, the MLAs were asked to publicise the party manifesto, especially the five guarantees, he said.
"We are also giving them (MLAs) political guidance. We are telling them their responsibilities to implement the programmes and the way to reach out to the people. We are listening to their problems as well," Shivakumar said.
To a question on BJP's demand that their MLAs should also be invited in the meeting while reviewing their constutencies, Shivakumar said they will also be called later.
"They will also be invited for the meeting. Who said they will not be called? But we had made a promise to our MLAs in our Legislative Party meeting that they will be heard separately," he said.
Shivakumar, who holds the portfolio of Bengaluru development, alleged that the BJP made big budgetary provisions in their constituencies in the city while a meagre allocation was made in the constituencies, which were represented by the Congress.
"In Bengaluru city, the BJP got the works worth Rs 1,000 crore in their areas whereas in the constituencies represented by the Congress MLAs, the works worth Rs 170 crore were taken up. We have documents to support it," Shivakumar claimed.
"We (Congress) are doing what they (BJP) did. We are not doing something new. They have taught us a lesson. We are only following their path," he added.
The Congress has set a target of winning at least 20 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats from the state during the 2024 Parliamentary elections. In 2019 polls, the Congress won one seat and BJP bagged 25 seats.
The meeting also comes against the backdrop of 11 MLAs allegedly writing to Siddaramaiah complaining that 20 ministers were not cooperating and were not available for discussions on development works in their respective constituencies.
The ministers were unapproachable and one had to reach out to them through third persons, the purported letter said.
However, Kalaburagi Congress MLA B R Patil later clarified that the alleged letter was fake as he had never written any such missive.
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KSCA expresses disappointment over missing IPL playoffs, says it was ready to host matches in B’luru
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) has issued a clarification stating that it was fully prepared to host the IPL playoffs and final matches in Bengaluru but the fixtures were allotted to other venues.
In a media note, KSCA said it was disappointed with the decision. The association stated that its president, former India cricketer Venkatesh Prasad, had been in touch with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and had formally conveyed the association’s readiness and interest in hosting the matches at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
KSCA said the IPL matches held in Bengaluru this season were appreciated for smooth conduct, crowd management and overall experience for spectators. It said this reflected its ability to handle high-profile matches.
The association also stated that it had sent a detailed communication to the BCCI explaining its preparedness and the operational arrangements followed during the current IPL season. According to KSCA, these systems have been in place since the start of the Indian Premier League in 2008 and were followed consistently, including during previous playoff matches hosted in Bengaluru.
The clarification added that the communication sent to the BCCI was only meant to provide factual and operational details and to bring clarity on logistical and stakeholder-related requirements involved in hosting such matches.
KSCA said that although it had shown willingness and preparedness, the BCCI has decided to allocate the playoff matches to other venues. It added that the reasons for this decision have not been formally shared with the association, but it respects the authority of the board in taking such decisions.
The association further said it remains ready to host matches of national and international importance and will continue to cooperate with the BCCI, franchises, government authorities and other stakeholders for conducting cricket events.
The statement was issued by KSCA official spokesperson Vinay Mruthyunjaya, who also thanked the media and cricket fans for their continued support.
