Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (RD)
Udupi, May 7: “The Congress party should discontinue the evil of wooing the people on the basis of caste,” said union minister for corporate affairs M Veerappa Moily.
He was addressing party activists and office-bearers at the district Congress Bhavan on Sunday May 6.
“The Congress party is of the masses and casteism that is being followed by a few rebellious leaders who deserted the party due to their own interest and displeasure over a few programmes. The ideologies of the Congress have to be informed to the voters effectively. Meanwhile, development programmes should be envisioned by convening meeting in Bangalore under the leadership of former union minister Oscar Fernandes, both state and national Congress leaders, in fulfilling the manifesto consisting of people’s various issues,” added Moily.
“Voters are everything for Congress. Union funds should be utilized to train rural youth and women in each legislative assembly constituency to be employed in gainful employment, setting up training centers in Stree Shakti Bhavan for empowerment of rural women. The notion of money-caste-vote that Congress was labeled for has to be changed to being a succor to people. A group of 15 party activists needs to be formed to effectively convince the voters. The winning of bypolls should not be taken as horse trading; instead keep the tempo going and it would give positive results in general elections,” he added.
Oscar Fernandes said that the efforts of party activists and veteran leaders had contributed to the Congress victory in Udupi–Chikmagalur bypoll recently. “The assurances that are given during bypoll have to be fulfilled. The tempo of the bypoll victory has to be maintained with an eye on general elections,” he said.
Udupi–Chikmagalur MP K Jayaprakash Hegde, Karkala MLA K Gopal Bhandary, former minister Vasant V Salian, Congress district president Gopal Poojary, KPCC member M A Gafoor, Tejomaya, Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, Sarala Kanchan, Keshav Kotian, Shyamala Bhandary, and Dinesh were present on the occasion.