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Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday described the appointment of BK Hariprasad as KPCC president as a "significant day" and pledged full support to him at the party's takeover ceremony.
Congratulating Hariprasad, Siddaramaiah thanked outgoing president DK Shivakumar for his work. "As a Leader of Opposition and CM, and with Shivakumar as Deputy CM and KPCC chief, we put the state on the development path and honestly delivered on our manifesto promises," he said. He noted that the Congress government implemented all five guarantee schemes, spending over Rs 1.4 lakh crore in three years. "The Opposition, including PM Narendra Modi, said we couldn't implement guarantees and that the treasury would go empty. We ignored criticism and delivered," Siddaramaiah said. Recalling the 2023 polls, he said the party won 136 seats because of the collective effort by leaders and workers under Shivakumar's leadership. He thanked Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, KC Venugopal, and Randeep Singh Surjewala for appointing Hariprasad. Highlighting Hariprasad's five-decade journey from a grassroots worker since 1972 to student leader, Youth Congress leader, Seva Dal chief and in charge of several states, Siddaramaiah said his loyalty and ideological commitment made him fit for the role. "Congress's core is the Constitution's ideals. BJP and RSS are trying to destroy India's pluralism by dividing people in the name of religion, caste, and culture," he alleged, adding that Hariprasad will fight RSS and BJP ideology. He urged workers to hold camps at district, taluk and booth levels to spread constitutional values, noting that preamble reading was introduced in schools during his tenure as CM. "Reconstruction of the nation on liberty, equality, and fraternity is needed. We must not allow BJP's 'one nation, one election' and authoritarian push," Siddaramaiah said, accusing RSS founders of drawing inspiration from Mussolini and Hitler. He exuded confidence that Congress would return to power in Karnataka in 2028 and at the Centre in 2029 with Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister. "Under Hariprasad's leadership, let us strengthen the party and its ideology," he added, assuring his complete support. (ANI)
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