Lobbying for KPCC chief post intensifies, Kharge too joins the race

Bengaluru, May 10: Lobbying has intensified in the state Congress for the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president’s post after AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal commenced the exercise of eliciting the opinions of state leaders for appointing the new state unit chief.

Amidst report that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is in favour of a Lingayat leader to hold the reins of party’s state unit (he is said to be okay with either M B Patil or S R Patil), a section of party leaders has conveyed to the party top brass that it should not go in for a non-Dalit to head the state unit of the party ahead of the 2018 Assembly polls.

A team of party leaders has told Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi that it would not be politically prudent to remove the Dalit leader from the key post at this juncture.

Congress leader in the Lok Sabha M Mallikarjun Kharge, who met both Sonia and Rahul here, also discussed the issue with them. Kharge's meeting comes in the backdrop of speculation in the party circles that he may be replaced by senior leader from Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath, as the leader of the party in the Lower House.

Kharge, who is also chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, a powerful parliamentary panel, is understood to have told the party top brass that he is not averse to taking up the assignment in the state to prepare the party for polls, which is due next year.

Besides, some Congress leaders who have been complaining that they have been alienated in the government headed by chief minister Siddaramaiah, also suggested that Kharge could be the right person to head the KPCC, to bring different factions together. Even Parameshwara, who is lobbying for his continuation, is learnt to have suggested Kharge's name, if he was removed from the post.

Water Resources Minister M B Patil, former minister S R Patil, Energy Minister D K Shivakumar and former Union minister K H Muniyappa are other contenders for the post. M B Patil, who had met both Sonia and Rahul some time ago, is learnt to have told them that he is willing to take up the responsibility if the party allowed him to continue as minister. On the other hand incumbent KPCC chief G Parameshwara too is trying to continue in the post.

Before taking any decision, the party high command is likely to take the feedback from newly appointed AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, who is meeting leaders in Bengaluru, sources said.