Congress high command to sort out Karnataka youth wing mess

The row over the post of the Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee (KPYCC) president has become murkier with the party high command deciding to step in, which might result in Raksha Ramaiah, the incumbent, being replaced.

Raksha became the KPYCC president in February in a controversial election in which his rival Mohammed Haris Nalapad came first, but was disqualified at the last minute. The two were at loggerheads following the result.

A late Tuesday night truce meeting involving Raksha, Nalapad, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar and Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president B V Srinivas discussed a power-sharing pact: Raksha will hold the president’s post for 18 months and Nalapad for the remaining 18 months. The KPYCC president's post has a three-year term.

Multiple sources told DH that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was upset with this ‘compromise’ formula. “Rahul is the one who introduced the concept of internal elections. This ‘compromise’ formula defeats the system. He is upset and doesn’t want Raksha or Nalapad in the fray,” a source said.

Ramaiah is the son of former minister McR Seetharam. In the February polls, he secured 57,271 votes. Nalapad bagged 64,203 votes but was disqualified owing to the infamous 2018 assault case. The result created controversy within the party.

According to party sources, Raksha has Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah’s backing, whereas Nalapad is supported by Shivakumar.

“It was discussed that both of us will hold the position for 18 months each, but nothing was finalised,” Raksha told DH. “Now, the matter has gone beyond the KPCC or the IYC. We are awaiting confirmation from the high command. They will depute someone from Delhi on July 4 to take a call,” he said.

According to a source close to Shivakumar, the high command might choose to appoint “a third person” as the state Youth Congress president. “What angered the high command, especially Rahul, is that this turned into an ego issue,” the source said.