Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, May 20: D K Shivakumar, president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), wanted to take over charge as the new KPCC president with much fanfare. Because of coronavirus pandemic, his dream was shattered. He now plans to see that select senior leaders of the party will be present when he lights the lamp and reads the preamble of the constitution. Meanwhile, local leaders of the party in all the 6,000 panchayats in the state will witness the programme beamed by electronic media.

The programme will be beamed on big screens being set up at district, block, ward and panchayat levels. Arrangements will be made to simultaneously light the lamps and read the preamble all over the state.

Shivakumar had planned to take over charge in a grand way on Sunday, May 31, but the government has enforced complete lockdown on Sundays. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday at KPCC office, Shivakumar expressed disappointment at his programme being cancelled because of lockdown. "I wanted to hold this programme on Sunday as traffic would be less, but the government has declared total lockdown on Sundays. Therefore, I will take charge in a simple way on some other day," he said. He said that he happens to be the KPCC president, but because of COVID-19, he had not got an opportunity to officially take charge. "I was not sitting at home all these days. I worked with people, and responded to the problems of the people," he claimed.

Shivakumar said that after the lockdown norms are eased, he plans to tour the state and become the voice of the destitute and pacify those in distress. He said he will meet people from all classes and religion and lay stress on strengthening the party's organizational setup.