K’taka Congress to hold brainstorming session on SIR in Bengaluru today
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Congress is set to hold a crucial meeting on Sunday evening to deliberate on objections and concerns surrounding the SIR process, as the party is preparing both political and legal strategies over the issue.
The meeting is scheduled to take place at 4 p.m. at a private resort located on the outskirts of Bengaluru. It will be led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and senior AICC leader Randeep Surjewala.
According to party sources, several senior leaders and office-bearers are expected to attend the meeting, including ministers, MLAs, MLCs, candidates who contested the 2023 Assembly elections, contestants from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, former legislators, Members of Parliament, and district presidents.
The Congress leadership is expected to hold detailed discussions on the ongoing SIR process and assess its possible political and electoral impact. The meeting is also aimed at formulating the party’s response while ensuring coordination among grassroots workers and senior leaders.
Party leaders believe that directly opposing the Election Commission’s process or adopting a complete non-cooperation stand may not work in the party’s favour politically.
Instead, Congress is likely to adopt a cautious approach by participating in the process while simultaneously keeping a close watch on developments.
“As a political party, Congress believes it must cooperate with SIR while remaining alert and cautious,” party leaders indicated ahead of the meeting.
Sources said the meeting has been convened primarily to sensitise party leaders and issue clear instructions regarding the future course of action.
“Congress leaders have also maintained that protecting the voting rights of citizens remains a key priority for the party. In this regard, Congress believes that the role of BLA1 and BLA2 members will be extremely important during the process,” the party leaders said.
The party is expected to place special emphasis on strengthening the functioning of BLA1 and BLA2 members at the booth level to ensure proper monitoring of voter-related procedures.
As part of its strategy, the Congress is planning to establish SIR camps at every polling booth and closely supervise the process until completion.
Party sources said Congress BLA2 members, working in coordination with government-appointed BLOs in their respective booths, will carry out door-to-door visits and personally verify voters.
The leadership has also instructed party workers to spread awareness among the public and the cadre regarding the process and their responsibilities during the exercise.
CM Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM Shivakumar, and other senior Congress leaders are expected to issue key directions and organisational guidelines during the meeting later in the evening.
The SIR is scheduled to begin in the state in June