The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Sack Somanna, Sudhakar: Congress

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Sack Somanna, Sudhakar: Congress

Special Correspondent

R.V. Deshpande

BANGALORE: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president R.V. Deshpande on Thursday demanded the resignation of Housing and Muzrai Minister V. Somanna and Social Welfare Minister D. Sudhakar from the B.S. Yeddyurappa Ministry.

Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Deshpande said that Mr. Somanna, who succumbed to the Bharatiya Janata Party`s “Operation Kamala” and left the Congress, was defeated by Congress candidate Priya Krishna in the byelections in Govindaraja Nagar constituency. Accepting the people’s verdict, Mr. Somanna should have resigned immediately after the results were announced, he said.

Mr. Deshpande said Mr. Sudhakar had been charge sheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation for financial irregularities involving real estate business and such a person could not be continued in the government any longer. He said that it was the duty of the two ministers to quit and Mr. Yeddyurappa should respect the democratic traditions as well as sentiments of the people by asking them to resign. Probity in public life must be maintained at all costs, the KPCC president said.

On the State Cabinet meeting held at Gulbarga, Mr. Deshpande doubted whether it would bring any cheer to the people of north Karnataka. The then Chief Minister, R. Gundu Rao, had held the first Cabinet meeting at Gulbarga three decades ago. If the government implements the D.M. Nanjundappa Committee recommendations improving the quality of life of the people in the backward regions, the Congress would welcome it, he added.

Mr. Deshpande said that the reshuffle of office-bearers of the party at the district and block levels in the State had been going on. However, it was for the high command to reshuffle the unit at the State level and most Congress leaders were waiting for a change of guard and would welcome any decision by the AICC. He admitted that it was time to inject new blood into the nine-year-old set up at KPCC and it was one of the reasons for the party’s continued election debacles in the State.

Agreeing with the idea that a joint effort by the Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) would benefit his party and weaken the BJP in the State, Mr. Deshpande said that such issues needed more discussions not just at the State-level, but also at the national level.

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