Cong dissolves Karnataka unit, Gundu Rao, Khandre stay

Congress on Wednesday dissolved its Karnataka unit but retained President Dinesh Gundu Rao and working president Eshwar Khandre, setting in motion the process to the organisational overhaul in the aftermath of the Lok Sabha debacle.

“The AICC had decided to dissolve the present committee of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. The President and Working President remain unchanged,” AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal said in a statement here.

The Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka managed to win one seat each in the recent Lok Sabha election triggering massive infighting within the party.

Earlier, Gundu Rao had requested the party top brass to restructure the state unit to help him to build a new team.

Venugopal, who is also in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka, in consultation with the state leaders are expected to announce a new team soon.

After the severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, Gundu Rao had stressed on the urgent need to restructure the state unit to give an opportunity to young and new faces so that it can work with renewed vigour.