Mistry panel submit report to Sonia

Secretary Madhusudan Mistry headed a panel on Friday recommended the party top brass that there is a need to appoint a senior leader as party Karnataka unit president, who can take all leaders along.

Two member panel, which also comprises of the party senior leader Bhakta Charan Das learnt to submit its report to party president Sonia Gandhi recommending three names each for Leader of Opposition and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee chief post.

Though recommended names were not disclosed, a senior leader in the party said that Siddaramaiah's names figured "prominently" for both the post.

After the resignation of KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao and Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah following severe drubbing of Congress in bypolls, Congress president Sonia Gandhi formed a panel headed by Mistry to recommend the names for both the posts.

Mistry, who visited Bengaluru to take views from all leaders on the issue, in his said that since just three-year left for assembly polls in the state, there is a need to appoint a leader who can take all community leaders along and work for strengthening the organisations.