The State Congress leaders are expecting the long-awaited announcement of a candidate for the post of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president after the Congress Working Committee’s (CWC) meeting on Saturday.
Sources in the party said central leaders are expected to discuss the names of suitable candidates at the meeting. The party would most probably announce the name of the new president in one or two days after the CWC meeting.
The KPCC president’s post has been vacant for the past one month. Former Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao resigned to the post on December 9, after the party’s poor show in byelections to 15 Legislative Assembly constituencies.
AICC interim president Sonia Gandhi would chair the meeting at the party headquarters in Delhi, which is expected to take many important decisions, including the party’s opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act and the ongoing unrest in the country and alleged high-handedness of the government.
In the CWC, the State would be represented by M. Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal. K.H. Muniyappa, who is aspiring to become the KPCC president, is the special invitee to the CWC.
Several senior leaders such as D.K. Shivakumar, Eshwar Khandre, and K.H. Muniyappa have been vying for the KPCC president’s post. They held a series of meetings with their loyalists and weighed their chances of becoming the State Congress chief.
However, to arrive at a consensus among the leaders about the next party chief, Ms. Gandhi had directed former KPCC chief G. Parameshwara to convene a meeting of prominent State leaders. Mr. Parameshwara, who convened the meeting at his residence last Saturday, has reportedly submitted a report to the AICC suggesting suitable names.
Meanwhile, Mr. Shivakumar who spoke to media on Thursday, declined to comment on the issue of KPCC chief post. He clarified that he had not received any notice from the Enforcement Directorate on his alleged role in money laundering.
Mr. Khandre too spoke to the media and said he would be ready to handle any responsibility assigned to him by the party. He clarified that the Lingayat community has not distanced itself from the Congress.
