Bengaluru: KPCC office bearers have attributed the Congress party’s setback in the Lok Sabha elections to the neglect of workers and local leaders after the party came to power in the state. They expressed their dissatisfaction before the Satya Shodhana (Fact finding) committee led by AICC leader Madhusudan Mistry, which was formed to review the defeat.
The committee camped in Bangalore for two days — on Wednesday and Thursday — and gathered information for defeat of party.
The KPCC officials highlighted that the harmony between party leaders and workers, which was evident before the assembly elections, was notably absent during the Lok Sabha elections. After the Congress government was established in the state, many ministers and MLAs focused more on the five ‘guarantee’ schemes than on engaging with local leaders and party workers. They believed that the votes from the beneficiaries of these schemes would ensure their victory. This over-reliance on ‘guarantee’ schemes weakened the bond between the government and party workers, leading to setbacks for several ministers and MLAs in their respective fields.
Party leaders and activists felt sidelined, especially in comparison to the recognition received by MLAs after the government was formed. This sense of neglect extended to appointments within corporation boards. Despite suggestions from superiors to prioritize workers equally, some appointments were made selectively, causing further discontent among the party ranks. The government, it was felt, had not adequately taken the party into confidence.
After the meeting, KPCC working president Vinay Kulkarni addressed reporters, stating, “I was confident that the Congress candidates would win due to the successful implementation of the guarantee schemes. However, the results were not as expected, resulting in setbacks in many ministers’ and MLAs’ constituencies.
Kulkarni, who had previously contested the Dharwad Lok Sabha elections, noted the challenges faced with a new candidate this time. “We tried hard but could not win. No one engaged in compromise politics in any district. The BJP used the Neha murder case for political gains. Although her father was a Congress leader, he was also misled,” he lamented.
The committee would submit report to AICC president in New Delhi.
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