Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, May 18: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president R V Deshpande said, that he would not like to pass the blame to any one in particular, for the lacklustre performance of the party in the state. He was speaking to reporters here, after seeing off the ‘Rajiv Jyoti Yatra’, organized by the labour wing of the KPCC at the KPCC office here on Sunday May 17.

"Victory and defeat are natural phenomenon. I do not want to hold anybody responsible for the poor showing of the party in the state. We will bring every one in the party together in the coming days and build the party from the grass-root level," he said.

However, he felt, insufficient organizational set up of the party was one of the reasons for the dismal performance of the party. He assured that steps will be taken to strengthen the organizational base of the party across the state. "Not re-organizing the KPCC since the last 10 years has no doubt, cast some adverse affect on the results. We will re-organize the party at the earliest, by giving opportunity to new faces," he said.'

Deshpande felt, division of secular votes among different parties has also been responsible for the lopsided verdict. The Congress has been able to get lot of votes, but not seats, he said, adding that he is concerned about the poor showing of the party despite the party getting unprecedented support elsewhere in the country.  Deshpande promised to put in efforts to get more and more facilities sanctioned for the state, as his own party has been put firmly in the saddle at the centre.

To a question, he said it is up to the High Command to either admit or reject the overtures of the JDS to join the central government. He thought, the question of admitting the JD (S) might not arise, as both Deve Gowda and Kumaraswami have clarified that they would remain in the Third Front.

The 'Rajiv Jyoti' torch is set to reach Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, where former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was slain, on May 21, the day of his death there in 1991.