CLP meet today: No clarity on LOP appointment

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting is scheduled on Wednesday ahead of the winter session of the legislature that starts Thursday.

The meeting comes amid uncertainty on the appointment of a Leader of the Opposition (LOP) who will lead the party on the floor of the House. The issue has become a bone of contention within the party, with different factions pushing for their candidates for the job.

While CLP leader Siddaramaiah is the frontrunner to become the LOP, he faces stiff resistance from a section of leaders that wants ‘collective leadership’. The names of senior leaders H K Patil and G Parameshwara are doing the rounds for the LOP position.

There is a demand within the party to follow the Maharashtra model where the CLP leader and the LOP posts are vested in the same person.

On October 6, AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry held one-on-one talks with senior leaders to gather their opinions on who should be named for seven positions - CLP leader, LOP in the Legislative Assembly and Council, Deputy Leaders and Chief Whips in both houses. But Mistry was greeted with factions - one backing Siddaramaiah and another seeking his ouster.

It was said that AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal would visit Bengaluru on Wednesday to take a call on this. Now, however, it is unclear on whether the Congress high command will make its decision or wait for the winter session of the legislature to get over, given the in-fighting within the party.

The CLP meeting itself is a formal one that is usually convened before the start of the legislature session to chalk out strategies to counter the government.