Bengaluru: Deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Friday urged the women’s wing of Congress to gear up for the 2028 assembly elections. He stated that 74 of the 224 seats would be reserved for women if the Women’s Reservation Bill becomes a law.
Addressing a Women’s Day event at the KPCC Bharat Jodo Bhawan, Shivakumar expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of women’s Congress which was recently taken over by former MLA Soumya Reddy, daughter of Ramalinga Reddy, and called for more proactive engagements. “I am not happy with the women’s wing; it has not performed up to the mark. There are opportunities in front of you if you would like to achieve something,” he added.
He stressed the party’s commitment to women’s welfare. “When our govt made committees to implement the guarantee schemes, the opposition criticized us. But today, they are adopting the Karnataka model in their states,” he added.
He announced incentives for Congress workers enrolling Gruhalakshmi scheme beneficiaries into the party. “Those who enroll at least 50 women as party members will be rewarded with a taluk-level director’s post,” he promised.
He said the Congress govt is planning a big event on May 20 to mark two years in office. “Organize rangoli competitions for the guarantee beneficiaries. We will give awards for the best rangolis,” he added.
The event also saw women and child welfare minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar felicitate Ananya Prasad, granddaughter of renowned Kannada poet GS Shivarudrappa, for successfully completing a solo 3,000-mile sailing expedition.
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Photo caption:
CM Siddaramaiah with Ananya Prasad, granddaughter of renowned Kannada poet GS Shivarudrappa, who successfully completed a solo 3,000-mile sailing expedition across the Atlantic recently