Bengaluru, Jan 2: The Congress leadership in Delhi is expected to start the process of selecting a new party chief for Karnataka next week. There are strong indications the race has narrowed to DK Shivakumar and MB Patil.
Party insiders said the leadership almost finalised Shivakumar’s name as the president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), but the decision was put on hold after requests by some senior members.
“It’s not that we are against Shivakumar. We think the party should have a Lingayat at the helm since community strongman and chief minister BS Yediyurappa is at the fag end of his long political career. There’s an opportunity here for a Congressman to occupy that space,” said a senior Congress politician, who didn’t want to be named.
That’s where the candidacy of Patil, a Lingayat, scores high.
The party, however, doesn’t want to compromise on quality and wants an efficient KPCC president who can unite two rival factions within the party, one led by Siddaramaiah and another by former union minister KH Muniyappa.
The need to pick a new state president arose after Dinesh Gundurao resigned from the post last month, taking moral responsibility for Congress’s poor showing in the byelections. Siddaramaiah also stood down as Congress party legislature leader.
The insiders said the new KPCC chief could be announced after January 16. The party might also appoint two working presidents and a new legislature party leader, who will automatically become the opposition’s voice in the assembly.
For the latter position, the name of senior Dalit politician and former deputy chief minister G Parameshwara is doing the rounds. But the party, the sources said, could still ask Siddaramaiah to reconsider his decision and stay on.
Many Congress members had raised questions over his stewardship after the bypoll disappointment. They said on his watch, the party had also fared badly in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections, demanding that he be held accountable.
Siddaramaiah is expected to visit Delhi next week to discuss the leadership issue with party boss Sonia Gandhi. Some other senior Congress members, including BK Hariprasad, are also likely to meet her.
Mangaluru, Mar 15: A 32-year-old lecturer accused of sexually harassing a girl student was found dead at Kalladka in Bantwal taluk on Monday night.
Comments
Condolences. The content of the news is correct. However his age is not 32. He was above 40. I know him very well. He was suffering from some psychological illness.
Dear Kuswanth,Please dont call chaddi,now changed chaddi and brought new langa,
Really very Sad News, My Heartiest Condolences, may his soul rest in peace. we are loosing young educated, energetic, citizens one by one, Where are you BJP, Bajrangi, Chaddi criminals, you have your Moral Police where are you Goons???? you Buffoon Dodanna fingering to our Great Bhatta no good, he is servant to Innocents, you are correct about him, once Investigation only the real culprit Identifying, but lost was lost, try to keep peace in the region,
Where are you Sharan Goon? go there man do some thing, looks you might be in Mysore to start Looting this is the time you Criminal looters do!!!!!
Jai hoo Siddaramanna.
No doubt this is a pre-planned murder some one has paid lumsum amount superior to kill Harish. Police must arrest first that Bhatta chassis and carry our fair investigation. For money prahakara will do anything.
Jai Ho Karnataka
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