Bengaluru: Dinehs Gundu Rao, president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has been submitted a report on the issues related, primarily to the bad fortunes of the party in the state in the Lok Sabha elections 2019.  

The committee - Satya shodhana samiti - which was tasked to submit a report in the regards has compiled a 63-page report, detailing several issues causing the party to taste defeat in Lok Sabha polls. 

The committee points fingers at two important issues which turned out to be an anathema for the party – the Lingayat issue and infighting in the state Congress. 

The Lingayat issue dates back to 2018, ahead of the assembly polls in Karnataka. 

The Congress-led state government had sought the Central government's nod for giving Lingayats a separate religion status.

Putting the ball in the Centre’s court, the Karnataka Cabinet had decided to go ahead with the recommendations made by the Justice Nagamohan Das committee.

However, the decision boomeranged on Congress as it fared poorly in the elections. Not just that, senior leaders from the Congress themselves openly criticised the then CM Siddaramaiah on the issue. 

In fact, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, a senior Congress leader had even questioned Siddaramaiah if he were a  Lingayat to take a call on the issue. 

He had said, “Is Siddaramaiah a Lingayat? He has given his opinion, what can I do with it? He tried to divide it, but sidetracked as he could not...”

Senior Congress Basavaraj Rayareddy headed the committee. 

Dinesh Gundu Rao said, “I congratulate them. They have invested a lot of time by going around the state for 3 months. It is not their personal opinions. It is a survey done after they spoke to the karyakartas.” 

The report details reasons for losses in the last year’s assembly elections as well.