Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara said that there is no harm if Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge returns to state politics, as there is increasing internal debate in the Karnataka Congress unit on leadership.
His statement comes following Kharge's recent remark about feeling sorry that he was not appointed Chief Minister in 1999, although he played a crucial role in the Congress party's resurgence in the state at that time.
Talking to the press in Bengaluru on Tuesday, Parameshwara reacted to appeals by some members of the party for Kharge to return to state matters. "There is absolutely nothing wrong if he wants to come back," Parameshwara said. "He is the national president of our party and has the right to make decisions on leadership issues, including who the Chief Minister should be. If he wants to return to state-level politics, nobody has any right to say anything."
Referring to Kharge's recent introspection on the 1999 incident and BJP's criticism for his statement, Parameshwara came out in support of the Congress chief. "The people criticizing him have not yet reached the level he has achieved today. Kharge is a tall leader not only in the Congress but in national politics as well," he added.
It is not fair to accuse him. He can play any role with decades of political experience behind him. His words must not be misinterpreted," Parameshwara added.
Parameshwara also spoke about the Karnataka Chief Minister's planned series of one-on-one meetings with MLAs. He mentioned that the move, which involves proposals to sanction ₹50 crore for each constituency, is routine governance and organizational party work.
"The CM will be meeting MLAs district-wise. Aside from the allocation of funds, the meetings are for listening to feedback on a variety of issues, including building up the party structure," he clarified.
"This is not new. Such interactions happened during earlier terms—2013, 2015, and 2018—when I was the KPCC president. Those too occurred at the Congress office," he observed.
"We are at the half-way stage in our five-year term, which makes it an important time to reflect on progress and plan for the next portion," Parameshwara stated.
When asked if Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar attended these meetings, Parameshwara stated that he was not fully in the picture but thought Shivakumar would be present. "I heard that he is down with dengue, but I think he will attend," he said.
When asked if the meetings were being convened by Kharge, Parameshwara said, "Even if they are, there's nothing out of the ordinary about that."
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