The Hindu

Bangalore, Mar 22: The former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna on Friday thanked All-India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi for permitted him to resign as Governor of Maharashtra and thereby “liberating him from the Raj Bhavan.”

Making this remark at a press conference after assuming charge of the chairmanship of the election management and coordination committee of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee here, Mr. Krishna said that he was grateful to Ms. Gandhi for permitting him to re-enter State politics.

Mr. Krishna, who was unwilling to take up the job of Governorship of the neighbouring State after the Congress faced a defeat in the Assembly elections in 2004, had been pressuring the Congress high command to relieve him from the post, as he was very much interested in politics, than enjoying the gubernatorial position.

Having been relieved of the post, Mr. Krishna said that he has been at ease ever since he left the Raj Bhavan.

With the induction of Mr. Krishna and the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramiah along with KPCC president M. Mallikarjun Kharge into election-related responsibilities, the Congress on Friday provided a picture of collective leadership.

Mr. Krishna, as chairman of the election management and coordination committee, and Mr. Siddaramaiah, as chairman of the campaign committee, stressed the importance of institutionalising certain programmes for sustained growth and uplift of the poor, particularly the Dalits, backward classes and minorities.

In a demonstration of unity in KPCC and collective leadership to face the elections, Mr. Kharge and the two leaders reiterated that all the leaders and workers would work unitedly to achieve the goal of winning elections for fulfilling aspirations of the people. Mr. Kharge welcoming Mr Krishna and Mr. Siddaramaiah, at a meeting organised at the KPCC office here, claimed that only the Congress had the candidates to field in all the 224 Assembly constituencies. The other parties had only pockets of influence, he said.