Mangaluru,:  With only a year left for the assembly polls in Karnataka, Congress high command has asked its dissident leaders, including former Union Minister Janardhan Poojary, to refrain from airing their opinions against the state government in public.

The state party leadership, which has also often come under attack from a few senior leaders, including Jaffer Sharief, H Vishwanath and Poojary, had taken up the matter with the High Command, party sources said.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has told the leaders not to be critical of the state leadership as it may have a negative impact on the party in the next assembly elections.

Gandhi asked Poojary to put forth his views in private and at party forums or approach her if he had any complaints, the sources said.

Poojary, a staunch critique of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his administration, has often openly voiced his opinions in public.