Vokkaliga second line seek 'responsibility' from Sonia

New Delhi, Jul 15 (UNI) A delegation of second line Vokkaliga leaders from Karnataka met Congress President Sonia Gandhi seeking her intervention and providing appropriate representation to the community in the party.

A delegation numbering more than 40 leaders consisting of a few present and former MLAs and MLCs told Mrs Gandhi the community had supported the party through thick and thin but had found no representation in the AICC, Union Cabinet, Congress Working Committee (CWC) or did not have one member in the Rajya Sabha.

Even in Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, the Vokkaligas felt sidelined as all the key jobs were occupied by people from other communities. The leadership of Congress Party in the State Assembly and Legislative Council were given to the leaders belonging to other castes and it was important to ensure that the community is not alienated from the Congress.

A leader who attended the delegation said the leaders apprised Mrs Gandhi that 34 of the 65 Congress nominees in Vokkaliga belt had been elected and this could not have been possible without the community supporting in a whole hearted manner. Although they did not propose any name for heading the KPCC, a majority were in favour of considering former Karnataka Speaker D B Chandre Gowda.

They also said the Congress had always formed the government in Karnataka whenever the task was entrusted to a major community leader whether it was Mr Veerendra Patil as a Lingayat leader in 1989 or Mr S M Krishna as a Vokkaliga leader in 1999.

Asked about Mrs Gandhi's reaction, the delegation members said she heard the leaders patiently and promised to consider the suggestions with due care, deligence and regard.

The delegation included Legislators Krishna Byre Gowda, Shivashankar Reddy, Ravi, Made Gowda, KPCC office bearers R Rajanna, T V Maruti, Vasanti Shivanna and N K Chandrashekhar.

UNI MCN RS1414