Bengaluru: Seemingly perturbed by recent dissident activities in the party, Congress party leader in the Lok Sabha M. Mallikarjuna Kharge on Sunday asserted that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should take steps to contain such activities instead of allowing it to fester.

Mr Kharge's observations over incidents after the Cabinet reshuffle assume significance as most of the rebel leaders had blamed him for their removal from the ministry.

At a function where Mr Dinesh Gundurao took charge as the KPCC working president, Mr Kharge said, “It is a leader's responsibility to nip such activity in the bud. I am keeping quiet because party discipline is paramount. I am being blamed unnecessarily and I am pained.”

Mr Kharge said that a leader's role is not just to take credit for what he achieved, but also to ensure an unblemished record of the party and its senior leaders.
Slamming his critics, he said that they should not waste their energy by going to the public, but approach right leaders to find solutions.

Congress will win next assembly polls too: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar on Sunday asserted that the Congress will make a comeback in the 2018 Assembly polls as it has given a clean and better administration than its predecessors.

Speaking at a function where former minister Dinesh Gundurao took charge as KPCC working president, Dr Parameshwar said, “The ruling party under the leadership of Mr Siddaramaiah has walked the talk. We have fulfilled scores of promises that were made in our party manifesto.

The Congress will surely make a comeback after the 2018 elections too." He said that the BJP's campaign – Congress Mukt Bharat – will not gain traction with the people in the country.

“The Congress has a rich history of protecting the interests of the people,” he said. Mr Siddaramaiah said that BJP state president Mr Yeddyurappa is suffering from a delusion that his party would win 150 seats in the next assembly election. “The Congress will work hard to win the 2018 Assembly polls," he said.