Karnataka Home Minister Parameshwara to resign today

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara on Thursday announced resigning from State Cabinet as per Congress high command’s directive. “I have prepared the resignation letter and submit it to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as soon as he returns to Bengaluru today,’’ Parameshwara told reporters here.

On May 31, All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi in a press release directed Parmeshwara to resign from the Cabinet immediately to devote full time and energy in discharging responsibilities as the president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

“I have to thank Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi for asking me to continue as the KPCC president. They preferred me continuing as the KPCC president than Cabinet minister,’’ he said.

The AICC General Secretary had also announced Congress fighting the forthcoming Karnataka State Assembly elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

“Congress has taken 2018 State Assembly elections seriously. It is a big challenge for us since the whole country is looking at Karnataka the only southern state in the country where Congress is in power,’’ the KPCC president said.

Congress high command had appointed Congress lawmaker S.R. Patil as KPCC working president and Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar as the chairman of the campaign committee.

“The objective of these appointments is on par with Congress policy of inclusivity. Congress wants to give an opportunity for all communities. The main idea is to fight State Assembly elections under the leadership of Siddaramaiah to retain power in 2018,’’ he said.