Bengaluru, April 13: Former union minister K H Muniyappa on Tuesday threw his hat in the ring in the race to become the State Congress president.
Speaking to reporters, he said he was ready to take on the responsibility if the Congress high command directs him to. “I am not aspiring to become president (of KPCC). But I am willing to shoulder the responsibility if told by the high command,” he added.
Muniyappa earlier met senior party leader S M Krishna at his residence here. Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, a staunch Krishna loyalist, is also lobbying hard for the party chief post. IT and BT Minister S R Patil and Special representative of the State in Delhi Appaji Nadagouda are also in the race to become the KPCC president. Muniyappa, 68, is representing Kolar as MP for the seventh time.
The term of incumbent president G Parameshwara, who is also Home minister in the Siddaramaiah cabinet, has ended. The party high command has asked him to continue in the post till a replacement is found. The party is likely to appoint a new chief for the State unit after the upcoming elections to five States, sources in the party said.
The sources said the high command has balanced the caste equations while looking for a new president after the BJP appointed Lingayat strongman B S Yeddyurappa as its State president. As a result, the party may appoint either a Vokkaliga or a dalit leader as the next chief, the sources added.
Remove Digvijaya'
Former Congress MP, A?H Vishwanath, also met Krishna. He later said the party should remove Digvijaya Singh from the post of AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka since he has not been effective. The high command should immediately remove him in the interest of rgw party organisation in the State, he added.
Singh is scheduled to arrive in Bengaluru on Wednesday to take part in a seminar organised by the party as part of the B R Ambedkar jayanti celebrations.
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