The Karnataka unit of the Congress, which has been in the news for political slugfest among senior leaders of the party, on Friday commenced an exercise to bring truce among the leaders who had opposed the party’s alliance with the Janata Dal (Secular) for the Lok Sabha elections.
State Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao, whose leadership has come under the scanner following the electoral rout of the party, summoned the former MLA K.N. Rajanna on Friday and told him to follow party discipline and withdraw his remarks against Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara.
Mr. Rao also told the former Minister N. Cheluvarayaswamy not to air his comments against the coalition government in the media. Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy had said the Congress had not learned any lesson even after the Lok Sabha poll results and the party would have to pay if it decides continue ties with the JD(S).
On Thursday, the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called Mr. Rajanna and the former MP S.P. Muddahanume Gowda to his residence and told them to patch up their differences with Dr. Parameshwara, Tumakuru district in-charge Minister, according to party sources.
Adverse comments
Sources in the party said Mr. Siddaramaiah and Mr. Rao were expected to meet more leaders in the next few days to keep the party united and appeal to leaders not to make adverse comments against the party. A couple of days ago, Mr. Rao and the former Minister Ramalinga Reddy held talks and reportedly discussed about accommodating the latter in the ministry during the next Cabinet expansion.
After the meeting with Mr. Rao, in a letter, Mr. Rajanna expressed his regrets over some of his comments against Dr. Parameshwara. He said the Deputy Chief Minister and he were friends for over five decades and earlier too they had fought over some issues.
On Deve Gowda’s defeat
On the JD(S) candidate’s defeat in Tumakuru Lok Sabha constituency, Mr. Rajanna told reporters: “Why are you making the former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s defeat a big issue. Former Ministers and veterans such as K.H. Muniyappa and M. Mallikarjun Kharge too were defeated. Mr. Deve Gowda has not descended from the sky.” The Congress and JD(S) were defeated in the “Modi wave” and Mr. Deve Gowda had lost elections earlier too, Mr. Rajanna said.