Congress sets target to win 20 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka in 2024
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday convened a meeting with the ministers to discuss the Parliamentary elections to be held next year and has set a target of winning at least 20 out of 28 LS seats.
Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said in the meeting attended by 19 ministers, the CM and his deputy D K Shivakumar discussed the severe drought situation in the state and no aid coming from the Centre.
There were no discussions on the issue of Chief Ministerial post in the state, he said and pointed out that the Congress high command has instructed not to speak on the issue.
It was said to be a breakfast meeting, party sources said.
"Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar had convened a meeting where 19 ministers were present. The objective was to discuss the parliamentary elections next year. All the discussions have taken place. Our target is winning 20 seats," he said.
Replying to a question on the confusion created due to ministers discussing in public forum the possible change of guard, he said, "There is no confusion about the CM and the Deputy CM. The high command has said that barring development work nothing should be talked."
"Since AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala directed us a few days back not to speak about it, there is no question of giving public statements. So, you (media) too should not ask such questions. You have to ask me only about development," he said.
Drought situation in the state also came up in the meeting, Reddy said adding that the ministers were told to work to face it.
In this context, he accused the Centre of doing nothing.
"Despite drought the Centre is not paying heed. It did not release even a paisa. During (assembly) election they (central ministers) were coming in hordes to seek votes, but now no one is coming though we are in severe crisis," he added.
Regarding the Congress direction to the ministers to submit ground reports about the possible candidates for the Lok Sabha election next year, Reddy said it was also discussed.
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Assam CM flays Cong for 'not verifying' documents before making charges against his family
Sivasagar/Guwahati (PTI): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday slammed the Congress for “not verifying” the documents based on which it brought allegations against him and his family.
Congress leader Pawan Khera had on Sunday alleged that Sarma’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, has multiple passports and foreign property, which were not declared in the chief minister’s election affidavit.
Sarma also hit out at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, claiming that he was “speaking like a madman” due to old age, after the latter put the onus on central agencies to probe the charges.
The CM asserted that Khera had “run away” to Hyderabad, but the Assam Police will “hunt him down even from ‘pataal’ (netherworld)”.
“‘Assam Police ko nahi jante hain.. Pataal se bhi ukhar ke le ayega’ (They don’t know the Assam Police... they will hunt him down even from the netherworld),” asserted Sarma.
An Assam Police team had earlier in the day visited the Delhi residence of Khera for questioning him in connection with the case.
“If they didn’t know the truth, why did they put it out in public? They should have asked the foreign minister first,” Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of an election campaign, when asked for his reaction to Kharge’s assertion that the Union government should probe the allegations now.
Kharge, at a presser in Guwahati on Tuesday, said all agencies are under the central government, which should probe the charges.
"They have already filed an FIR against Khera. Let them probe the matter. We will face the case as it progresses. We have sought probes by the ED or CBI into the allegations," he said.
Sarma added: “Kharge is ageing and is speaking like a ‘pagal’ (madman). You insult the people first and then say will ask the foreign minister (for verification)? Is he your ‘damad’ (son-in-law),” the chief minister said.
“I think Rahul Gandhi had given these documents to Khera, and if that is so, the case will then include Gandhi,” he added.
