<p>The State Congress leaders belonging to Veerashaiva community hope that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who rejected their recent demand for a change of guard in the State unit of the party, will have a change of heart during her visit to Karnataka on Thursday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>On Monday, a group of senior leaders faxed a letter to Sonia, seeking an appointment during her visit to Mangalore on Thursday. They are making another attempt to pressure her to agree for a change in leadership in the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), sources said. <br /><br />As Sonia made it apparent that she would not entertain any caste delegations, the leaders who sought replacement of KPCC president G Parameshwara with Lingayat leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, have roped in other community leaders to project that even other caste groups are seeking the change. <br /><br />The letter was addressed to Sonia by the leaders, including MP Mahadev Prasad; legislators P M Ashok, B C Patil, and Amare Gouda Bayyapur; former legislators Rani Satish, K C Kondaiah and V S Ugrappa; KPCC members Allum Veerabhadrappa, Saleem Ahmed and Nagaraj Yadav; Davangere District Congress Committee president Jabbar Khan; former MP R S Patil and former KPCC general secretary Kenche Gowda.<br /><br />If they don’t get an opportunity to meet Sonia, the group has decided to go to Delhi and reiterate its demand before her political secretary Ahmed Patel next week.<br /><br />On Thursday, Sonia will address a workers’ convention before participating in the centenary celebrations of the Gokarnatheshwara temple in Mangalore. <br /><br />Membership drive<br /><br />On Tuesday, KPCC will launch this year’s membership drive across the country. AICC Karnataka in-charge Madhusudan Mistry, Shantharam Naik, Hanumantha Rao, CLP leader Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition in the Council S R Patil and Parameshwara will take part.</p>
<p>The State Congress leaders belonging to Veerashaiva community hope that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who rejected their recent demand for a change of guard in the State unit of the party, will have a change of heart during her visit to Karnataka on Thursday. <br /><br /></p>.<p>On Monday, a group of senior leaders faxed a letter to Sonia, seeking an appointment during her visit to Mangalore on Thursday. They are making another attempt to pressure her to agree for a change in leadership in the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), sources said. <br /><br />As Sonia made it apparent that she would not entertain any caste delegations, the leaders who sought replacement of KPCC president G Parameshwara with Lingayat leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, have roped in other community leaders to project that even other caste groups are seeking the change. <br /><br />The letter was addressed to Sonia by the leaders, including MP Mahadev Prasad; legislators P M Ashok, B C Patil, and Amare Gouda Bayyapur; former legislators Rani Satish, K C Kondaiah and V S Ugrappa; KPCC members Allum Veerabhadrappa, Saleem Ahmed and Nagaraj Yadav; Davangere District Congress Committee president Jabbar Khan; former MP R S Patil and former KPCC general secretary Kenche Gowda.<br /><br />If they don’t get an opportunity to meet Sonia, the group has decided to go to Delhi and reiterate its demand before her political secretary Ahmed Patel next week.<br /><br />On Thursday, Sonia will address a workers’ convention before participating in the centenary celebrations of the Gokarnatheshwara temple in Mangalore. <br /><br />Membership drive<br /><br />On Tuesday, KPCC will launch this year’s membership drive across the country. AICC Karnataka in-charge Madhusudan Mistry, Shantharam Naik, Hanumantha Rao, CLP leader Siddaramaiah, Leader of the Opposition in the Council S R Patil and Parameshwara will take part.</p>
