The State Congress cadre has continued to mount pressure on the party central leadership on the appointment of a new chief for the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and not a single day has passed over the last few weeks without statements on the matter by senior leaders.
The selection of the successor to Dinesh Gundu Rao, MLA and former Minister who had resigned from the post after the party’s debacle in the recent Assembly bypolls, has become complicated as the party central leadership and the State Congress have failed to arrive at a consensus over a name. The former KPCC president G. Parameshwara, who was tasked by the leadership to arrive at a consensus, also seems to have failed in this mission.
Further delay
Upset with the lack of unity among the State leaders, it is learnt that the central leadership has decided to temporarily suspend the process, at least for the next two to three weeks. Meanwhile, Mr. Rao appears to have become more active in the last few days and has started coming to the party office here.
Sources said the State Congress leaders expect some clarity on the matter during the budget session of the State legislature which would be commencing on February 17. Central leaders are also busy with the Delhi Legislative Assembly elections, scheduled for February 8, as well as preparing a strategy to put the NDA government on the mat over issues such as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, slowdown in the economy, and unemployment, in the upcoming budget session of Parliament.
Which of the 2 castes?
Though a few leaders are aspiring to the posts of KPCC chief and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly, the party is apparently split along caste lines on making the final pick — Lingayats and Vokkaligas — and the central leadership is not sure as to from which of the two dominant castes to choose the next KPCC chief.
S.M. Krishna, ex-CM was the last Vokkaliga to head the State Congress 20 years ago (1999–2000). Allum Veerabhadrappa was the last Lingayat to head the KPCC during 2001–03. D.K. Shivakumar, a Vokkaliga, was working president during 2008–10.
The party has been riddled with multiple factions, led by the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Mr. Shivakumar, the former Union Minister K.H. Muniyappa, MP B.K. Hariprasad, and Dr. Parameshwara.
Unable to swallow their egos, party sources said, these leaders were pulling the party in different directions and apparently “imposing conditions” on the central leadership on the selection of the State unit president.
This has made some leaders to urge veteran leader M. Mallikarjun Kharge to head the State unit.
‘Original’ vs. ‘migrant’
The delay was also largely owing to the long-standing stand-off between “original” Congressmen and “migrants” in the party. Supporters of Mr. Shivakumar, who has been an aspirant for the post, have been resisting the appointment of Mr. Siddaramaiah’s nominee M.B. Patil, apparently over the former Chief Minister’s alleged dictatorial style of functioning and the way dissent is being snubbed within the organisation.
The “original” Congressmen believe that “migrant” Mr. Siddaramaiah’s dominance would once again prevail in the party affairs if Mr. Patil becomes the State unit president. Party sources said Mr. Siddaramaiah has been opposing Mr. Shivakumar’s candidature believing that a large chunk of Vokkaligas have been rallying behind H.D. Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular) and the party would benefit little from a Vokkaliga leader’s appointment.
Sharp differences
Sharp differences have surfaced among party leaders not only on the appointment of a new chief, but also on the proposal to appoint a number of working presidents, and two leaders for the posts of the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and the Congress Legislature Party leader.
