Mangaluru: Former Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee president K Harish Kumar thanked party workers, leaders and media representatives for their support during his nine-year tenure as district Congress president and expressed his support for newly appointed president Padmaraj R Poojary.
Addressing a press conference at the District Congress Bhavan in Mallikatte on Wednesday, Harish Kumar said the organisational work during his tenure could not have been achieved by him alone. He credited block Congress presidents, KPCC members, unit leaders and party workers for their cooperation.
Poojary appointed new district Congress president
Harish Kumar said the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) had appointed senior Congress leader and former Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha candidate Padmaraj R Poojary as the new district Congress president.
He said Poojary had been active in social, religious and political activities and had maintained contact with party workers across Dakshina Kannada. Harish Kumar also highlighted Poojary’s work through the Guru Beladingalu Foundation in the education and healthcare sectors.
Poojary was scheduled to formally assume charge, but the programme was postponed as he had to attend a meeting of newly appointed district presidents at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). Harish Kumar said the charge-taking ceremony would be held after Poojary’s return.
Focus on organisational preparations
Speaking about the Congress organisation in Dakshina Kannada, Harish Kumar said the party currently has two MLAs among the district’s eight Assembly constituencies.
He said the party would work to strengthen its organisation across all eight constituencies and prepare for the upcoming local body elections.
Harish Kumar said district leaders would extend their cooperation to Poojary and work collectively to strengthen the party organisation.
The leadership change comes as the district unit prepares for its next phase of organisational activities, with local elections also on the agenda.
Development issues ahead of Cabinet meeting
Harish Kumar also spoke about the Karnataka Cabinet meeting scheduled to be held in Mangaluru on September 18.
He said several demands concerning Dakshina Kannada were expected to be raised during discussions on coastal development. These include official recognition for Tulu, measures to support the fisheries and tourism sectors, development of the plastic park and IT park, and policy support for agriculture and related industries.
He also referred to the long-standing demand to name Mangaluru airport after Koti and Chennaya and said the party would seek to have the proposal considered again.
The state government has been preparing department-wise proposals concerning coastal Karnataka ahead of the Cabinet meeting. Other discussions surrounding the meeting have also included tourism, fisheries, IT infrastructure and regional development.
Harish Kumar highlights district’s potential
Harish Kumar said Dakshina Kannada has considerable potential in sectors including fisheries, agriculture, horticulture, healthcare, education, banking and tourism.
He stressed the need for comprehensive development of the district and said the Cabinet meeting could provide an opportunity to discuss several long-pending issues.
He also referred to the proposed expansion of tourism in the coastal region and said development proposals would need to take into account the district’s different sectors and local requirements.
Among the issues he identified, Tulu recognition has been a long-standing demand in the coastal region. Harish Kumar described Tulu as an important part of the region’s identity and expressed hope that the issue would receive attention during the Cabinet meeting.
Criticism of central agencies
Harish Kumar also criticised what he described as the alleged use of central investigative agencies against opposition leaders.
He questioned the actions of agencies including the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), alleging that they were being used to target political opponents. He said allegations should be established through due legal process.
He also criticised the Centre over issues relating to tax devolution and funding arrangements for states and alleged that Karnataka was not receiving its due share of central taxes.
These remarks formed part of his comments on broader political and governance issues during the press conference.
Remarks on Kharge stage incident
Harish Kumar also condemned a reported incident involving the purification of a stage after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge had appeared at a public programme.
He criticised the manner in which the matter was handled and expressed his objection to the reported incident.
Thanks media after nine-year tenure
Recalling his nine-year tenure as district Congress president, Harish Kumar said he had worked under several KPCC presidents and received support from senior Congress leaders and party workers.
He expressed particular gratitude to members of the media for their cooperation and interaction with the district Congress unit during his tenure.
“This may be my last press conference as the district party president, but we will continue to interact in various capacities,” he said, adding that he looked forward to continued cooperation from the media.
Harish Kumar concluded by reiterating that district Congress leaders would support Padmaraj Poojary and work together to strengthen the party organisation in Dakshina Kannada.