Bangalore: Outgoing Karnataka Pradesh
Congress Committee President R V Deshpande Wednesday said the most
Herculean task he faced during his tenure was to brave the
"money power" of the ruling BJP in the last two years in the
state.
"It was a mixed bag of luck for me in the last 25
months as KPCC chief as Congress tasted a string of electoral
defeats in the assembly by-polls along with some success", he
told reporters here, a day after the party high command
appointed senior leader Dr G Parameshwara to succeed him.
"It was difficult to face the money power of BJP, the
government of which also topped the list in corruption. With
the cooperation of all leaders and the party high command, I
have done my best in these two years", Deshpande said.
He welcomed the appointment of former CWC member
Parameshwara who, he said, has vast administrative experience
and hoped the party`s fortunes would revive and it would
return to power under his stewardship.
Assembly elections are due in 2013 in Karnataka, which
has been haunted by political instability in the wake of
repeated internal fissures faced by ruling BJP.
Defending the choice of Parameshwara, a Dalit to lead
the party, Deshpande said appointments in Congress are not
made on the basis of caste.
Deshpande was a key part of the recent 320-km "Bellary
Chalo Padayatra" organised by the Congress to highlight
illegal mining in the State.
PTI
