Southern States - Karnataka   

Workers expose chinks in Cong. armour

By Our Staff Correspondent

HASSAN MARCH 24. The fissures in the Hassan District Congress came to the fore during the recent visit of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) observers to the city, as many workers in the district expressed displeasure over the lack of cooperation by prominent leaders in building the party, especially MP, Puttaswamy Gowda, and the district in-charge and Revenue Minister, H.C. Srikantaiah.

According to sources in the Hassan District Congress Committee (DCC), workers expressed their ire against both the leaders and detailed their problems before the KPCC Vice-President, G. Ramakrishna, the General Secretary, Nazeer Ahmad, and the Secretary, Girija Maheshan.

Although they criticised both the leaders, majority of them complained against Mr. Puttaswamy, it is learnt.

A senior Congress leader said that a majority of the workers from Holenarsipura constituency contended that Mr. Puttaswamy was using the MP's Local Area Development Scheme to fund works in "selected constituencies," and was encouraging the BJP workers to humiliate the party cadre.

They alleged it was because of him that the Congress lost the president's post in the taluk panchayat elections. Incidentally, the President of the Holenarsipura Taluk Panchayat, Nanjappa, who is considered to be a supporter of Mr. Puttaswamy, did not attend the meeting.

Party sources said that a majority of the workers alleged that both Mr. Srikantaiah and Mr. Puttaswamy were interested in encouraging the BJP MLAs including K.H. Hanume Gowda, Arkalgud Manju, and Puttaranganath, who were "identified" with the Congress, and were not bothered about building the party.

Sources said workers brought to the notice of the observers, the hurdles created by Mr. Puttaswamy in the appointment of Block Congress presidents.

Although workers from Arsikere, Arkalgud, Sakleshpur, and Hassan taluks expressed their discontentment with both the leaders, the workers of Chennarayapatna requested the leaders to change the Block Congress president.

A senior party leader said most of the followers of Mr. Puttaswamy and Mr. Srikantaiah did not attend the meeting. Also, Mr. Puttaswamy, who was present in the city on the day of the meeting, did not meet the observers.

The President of the Hassan City Municipal Council (CMC), Chennaveerappa, and former DCC president, S.M. Anand, also did not attend the meeting, sources said.

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