Row over election of DCC president ends

T P Ramesh to continue as prez

Finally, the row over selection of District Congress Committee (DCC) president has ended. The Congress high command has decided to regularise the post of DCC in-charge president T P Ramesh.

The meeting convened by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dr G Parameshwar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru, recently, decided to put an end to the row over selection of DCC president.

Following a row over Tipu Jayanthi celebrations, B T Pradeep had tendered resignation to the post of DCC president. Later, Ramesh continued as in-charge president. Recently, he was appointed as the president of Karnataka State Silk Marketing Board.

He had appealed to the high command to relieve him from the responsibility of DCC president. As the list of aspirants to the post was too long, the high command has decided to continue him as the president.

The high command has directed Ramesh to sort out the internal differences among the leaders and work towards organising the party at the grassroots level.

MLC Veena Achaiah, zilla panchayat member K P Chandrakala, Somwarpet Block Congress president K M Lokesh, former MLC Arun Machaiah had taken part in the meeting held at Bengaluru.

The meeting was not attended by District In-charge Minister M R Seetharam. In fact, Seetharam had suggested three names to the post. As senior leader B G Mittu Changappa had denied to take up the post, name of Kodava Sahitya Academy president B S Thammaiah was heard. ZP member Shivu Madappa, former MLC Arun Machaiah were also in the race.

“It was Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who showed inclination towards continuing the term of Ramesh,” sources told DH.

Sources in Congress said, “Ramesh is a good organiser. He knows the art of taking all under one umbrella. He is also a close aide of KPCC working president Dinesh Gundu Rao.”

DCC president Ramesh said that he will try to sort of the differences. He was happy that he has been allowed to continue as the DCC president.