Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar should consult senior party leaders on MLC candidates: G Parameshwara
Bengaluru, May 28: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Tuesday said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and State Congress chief D K Shivakumar should consult senior party leaders like him regarding selection of candidates for the MLC polls.
The statement comes against the backdrop of Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar's trip to New Delhi today to discuss with the party high command candidates for biennial election to 11 seats of Karnataka Legislative Council on June 13.
"The Chief Minister and KPCC President are in responsible positions. It is appropriate if they consult seniors like us. Without consulting if they both decide on their own, it is not right according to me. Those with seniority and experience, both in the party and the government and having contacts, should be consulted. They have to discuss with us," Parameshwara said.
Addressing reporters here, he said, "Not just me, there are seniors like me who have served as the KPCC Presidents and those who have experience and have held party positions. If their advice and opinion is taken, it will be good. This is my opinion."
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Parameshwara was responding to a question whether the Chief Minister and Shivakumar have sought his views on MLC candidates, or whether he has recommended any names.
Asked about several Ministers suggesting consideration of factors such as region and caste while giving tickets, Parameshwara said, "This has to be discussed, offhand. They both (CM and DCM) should not decide unilaterally, they should seek our advice. They have to consider district and caste wise."
"Those who have worked for the party and built it, those communities that have stood by the organisation, have to be recognised, this is my opinion," he added.
To another query on whether this was discussed during the recent dinner meeting for all Ministers hosted by Shivakumar, Parameshwara replied in the negative.
Responding to KPCC president's diktat that Ministers should visit the party office to meet workers, Parameshwara said he too had done the same thing when he was the President for eight years.
"When Congress was in power, ministers used to visit the party office... This is the party decision. The President might have noticed some Ministers not adhering to it, and hence he might have given the instructions, it is a welcome move," he said.
Responding to a question on talks about no immediate changes in KPCC President for now, Parameshwara said the party high command will take a call at an appropriate time.
"Shivakumar is competent and is serving as the president. If he feels he is not able to manage as he is also the Deputy CM, he will tell the high command, or high command on its own may decide," he said.
Reacting to Minister K N Rajanna's statement that he was ready to sacrifice the minister post to serve as party President, he said, "... anyone may sacrifice, is there a shortage of people to sacrifice in Congress?"
As per the existing strength of parties in the Assembly, the Congress can win 7, BJP can win three and JD(S) one seat.
The schedule for filing nominations for this election has already begun, and it will go on till June 3.
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Kerala polls: Vijayan, Revanth Reddy trade barbs as campaigning ends
Kannur (Kerala)/Hyderabad (PTI): A war of words between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his Telangana counterpart Revanth Reddy turned acrimonious on Tuesday, the final day of campaigning for the April 9 Assembly polls.
The two leaders sparred on the virtual world as well, exchanging letters on their respective social media handles.
The escalation came after Vijayan, responding to Reddy's earlier remarks, used Malayalam expressions considered nearly derogatory, signalling strong disapproval of the Telangana CM's comments.
Reddy, campaigning for the UDF in Kollam district, hit back swiftly, likening Vijayan to PM Narendra Modi.
He said he would take any personal remarks from the senior leader as a "blessing" considering his age, but objected to what he described as insults directed at the people of Kerala. "But you cannot abuse our Kerala people," he said, hours before campaigning drew to a close.
The controversy began after Reddy had said "nee po mone Vijaya" by invoking a famous dialogue from superstar Mohanlal's blockbuster movie "Narasimham" while referring to Vijayan on April 1 during a UDF campaign roadshow in Nemom constituency.
Earlier in the day, while reacting to Reddy's earlier remarks, Vijayan said a CM must maintain basic standards of conduct and questioned whether such dignity was being followed.
In his response to a query, Vijayan used Malayalam words that were seen as nearly derogatory for Reddy, signalling his strong disapproval of the remarks made against him.
Sharply reacting to the CM's objectionable remarks, Congress leader V D Satheesan said Vijayan appeared to have "completely lost composure" and warned that any further deterioration in his conduct would have brought "greater embarrassment" to the state.
After the critical remarks during the press meet, Vijayan wrote on his 'X' handle that political differences are natural, but expressing strong disagreement through personally insulting remarks is an attitude that he rejects. Reddy's statements lacked factual backing.
In a detailed letter attached with the 'X' post addressing the Telangana CM, Vijayan said the experience of the people of Kerala was "vastly different" from what Reddy had portrayed.
He clarified that he did not intend to engage in a debate over the performance of the Telangana government, stating that it was for the people of Telangana and political parties there to assess their government.
Referring to Reddy's comments, Vijayan said the LDF government has been consistently publishing progress reports over the past 10 years on the implementation of its election promises, underlining its commitment to continuous accountability.
He also rejected the allegation of "selective appropriation" of Kerala's achievements, including its top ranking in the NITI Aayog SDG Index, and said such criticism was misplaced.
Dismissing claims of industrial stagnation, Vijayan said Kerala has made significant strides in the startup ecosystem and ease of doing business, adding that these achievements have been widely acknowledged.
He also alleged that key infrastructure projects in Kerala, including the Kochi Metro and Vizhinjam Port, faced delays under previous Congress-led governments at the Centre, while long-pending promises such as a railway coach factory remained unfulfilled.
Vijayan further accused the BJP-led Union government of discrimination against Kerala and said the state has been actively resisting what he described as "anti-federal and undemocratic" policies through legal and political means, including approaching the Supreme Court.
He also rejected Reddy's criticism that the LDF was not vocal enough against the BJP, asserting that Kerala has been at the forefront of defending constitutional values.
Concluding his letter, Vijayan reiterated the state government's commitment to building a "Nava Keralam" and moving forward as a model for others.
On April 1, while addressing party workers in Nemom, Reddy used the popular Malayalam film dialogue "Nee po mone Vijaya". He adapted it to target Vijayan, saying "Nee po mone Vijaya".
Reddy went further, claiming that Vijayan's "time is over" and that his "expiry date has passed".
Responding to these allegations, Vijayan had said that the Telangana CM was "misinformed" and accused him of "ridiculing" Kerala and its people while trying to hide the weaknesses of his own state.
In a later response, Reddy defended his remarks and said that many of the statistics cited by Vijayan were taken from the NITI Aayog SDG Index 2023 24, arguing that the data was already outdated.
Reddy in his letter questioned the veteran Marxist leader's claim that Kerala would become the first state to completely eradicate extreme poverty by late 2025 had been achieved. Further, he chooses to conduct himself respectfully and gracefully in his criticism of the Kerala government's performance, whereas Vijayan opted to use language of poor taste.
Reddy, in his letter on X, said that while he respects NITI Aayog's corruption rankings, he wants to know why the infamous gold smuggling case, linked to individuals connected to the CMO, remains unresolved, and why 4.5 kg of gold allegedly misappropriated from the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has not been accounted for.
