'K'taka Cong to introspect Assembly poll debacle'

Bangalore, Oct 29: Congress in Karnataka, which failed to come to power in the May Assembly elections, will constitute a 'fact finding committee' to know the reasons for the reversal, KPCC Working President D K Shivakumar said today.

Addressing newspersons here he said the party, which secured largest vote share of 36 per cent in the election was still the most popular political force in the state and all efforts will be made to strengthen it.

While BJP secured 110 in the 224-member house, Congress ended with 80 seats and Janata Dal(S) just 28 in the May elections that paved way for the formation of first BJP government in the South.

Mr Shivakumar said that KPCC President R V Deshapande had convened the first meeting of the committee on November five for the purpose.

The Committee, which is yet to be approved by the Central party leadership, would interact with the defeated candidates from the party. KPCC would also send two observers to each of the assembly constituency and interact with the party workers at the gross root level, he said.

He said that KPCC would also take measures to revamp about 70 block Congress units in the state where party organisation was weak for different reasons. The Block level observers would also meet the deserters of the party and make efforts to bring them back to the party fold.

Replying to questions Mr Shivakumar said that immediate past president of KPCC, Mallikarjuna Kharge had submitted a report to Congress high command on the issue of the poll reverse. However it was not based on the inputs collected from the grass root workers.

He said that henceforth KPCC leaders would tour each and every Block unit in the state and try to address the problems being faced at the Taluk level.

Referring to the coming byelections to eight assembly seats in Karnataka, Mr Shivakumar said that the process of selection of party candidates was almost over.

However he was tight lipped over the possible alliance between Congress and JD(S) in fielding common candidates to defeat BJP.

"Party high command will take a final decision on the issue and it would be binding to all," he said.

UNI