Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Jun 30: "I will retire from active politics after ensuring that Congress rises to power in the state again," announced Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah.

His announcement came at the two-day meeting of party workers which concluded at Palace Grounds on Sunday June 29, in the presence of various Congress leaders including Digvijay Singh who is in charge of Congress affairs in Karnataka state.

Siddaramaiah noted that the government led by him has been providing efficient administration in the state. He expressed the confidence of leading the party back to power in the state in the next general election.

"I am not sure whether I will continue to be the chief minister of the state during the entire tenure of the present government. But I am doubly sure about the fact that Congress will be in power for the full term," he added.

Siddaramaiah said appointments to the posts of presidents, vice presidents, and members to various boards and corporations in the state could not be made during the last one year because of successive problems. He promised to fill these posts during August this year.

While introspecting on the party's performance in the recent Lok Sabha election, he analyzed that the party could not repeat its performance of winning 122 assembly seats in the assembly election because of anti-party activity in some constituencies. He asked Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Parameshwar, to identify party leaders who indulged in anti party activities and caused the defeat of party candidates in key Lok Sabha constituencies like Belgaum, Haveri, Koppal, and Mandya.

He also felt that it would be wrong to blame All India Congress Committee president, Sonia Gandhi, and party national vice president, Rahul Gandhi, for the party's debacle. He insisted that the responsibility of working to bring the party back to power now rests on the shoulders of every leader and worker of the party.