Silvester D’ Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapura (EP)
Kundapura, Feb 14: “A mass meeting of Congress party workers will be held in Mangaluru on Feb 17. AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge, chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar will participate in it. Mallikarjuna Kharge will be visiting the coastal district for the first time after becoming the AICC president. More than 5,000 activists from Byndoor Vidhana Sabha constituency will take part in the programme,” said former MLA K Gopala Poojary.
Speaking in a news conference at Kundapura, he said that the rally of Byndoor Congress workers with the tableaux of the five successful guarantees of the government will proceed to Mangaluru.
“The rally of all the blocks will proceed from Hejmady to the venue. This is the first programme that is being held after implementation of the guarantees,” he said.
“Guarantee committees are being formed. Those who have not benefited from the guarantees will be identified by the committee. A meeting of the beneficiaries of the guarantees will be held later,” Poojary said.
“BJP has objected to the formation of Kollur Mookambika Temple managing committee and moved the court. Though governments are forming respective managing committees, BJP is objecting because of power. I had not objected to development even when Lakshminarayana, Sukumar Shetty were MLAs in the past. It is the responsibility of concerned officers to approach the ministers and bring funds. I have not indulged in politics in the name of Hindutva. We have not objected to former MLA Sukumar Shetty from joining Congress. Those who come agreeing to the principles of the Congress party are welcome,” he said.
“The party will be organised under the leadership of deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar. The party needs to be recreated in the state and new office-bearers will be appointed. The work will be over within a month,” Poojary said.
“BJP also has gone after guarantees. They too have benefitted by guarantees,” he said.
Vandse block Congress president Pradeep Kumar Gudibettu and Byndoor block Congress president Aravind Poojary were present.