On January 11, Karnataka Ministers assembled in New Delhi and attended a meeting convened by the central leadership of the Congress to discuss strategies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the State. The meeting caught the limelight amid Karnataka rift. 

Ministers K N Rajanna, K J George, B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, G Parameshwara, Laxmi Hebbalkar, N S Boseraju and R B Thimmapur were among those who attended the national capital in the morning. "The information we have is that 29 ministers have been summoned to Delhi to discuss strategies," a senior Congress leader informed. The key focus this time is to identify the right candidates and find ways to counter the Rama temple issue so that it does not adversely affect the party's poll prospects in Karnataka, he added. 

"The ministers will be asked to publicise the five guarantees (pre-poll promises of the party) and various other welfare schemes of the state government. Our key strength in the Lok Sabha election is our five guarantees, which no other state has implemented," the Congress leader claimed. 

"We are not very much thinking about the Ram Temple issue because the Hindu community itself is divided with four Shankaracharyas reportedly not attending the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya on January 22," a Congress source said. He also underlined that the demand by some Ministers that three deputy chief ministers should be appointed in Karnataka may not come up for discussion in the meeting. 

"Our party president (M) Mallikarjun Kharge has snubbed the ministers and MLAs demanding it. He has strictly told them not to raise this issue till the elections are over," the source said. 

The Congress put up a dismal show in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka, where it won just one of the total 28 seats. 

Image Source: The Economic Times