CM debate in Congress Muniyappa, Hariprasad seek high command intervention

With the debate on who should be the next Chief Minister is raging in the Karnataka Congress unit, former Union Minister K H Muniyappa, former Rajya Sabha member B K Hariprasad on Monday met Congress National General Secretary K C Venugopal here and requested him to intervene to put an end to the discussion.

Since the party should focus on strengthening the organisation, the debate on who should be the next Chief Minister should uncalled for. The Congress high command must step in to reign in state leaders from discussing the issue, both the leaders are learnt to have told Venugopal.

Venugopal, AICC General Secretary (Organisation), considered a powerful leader and advises Congress president Sonia Gandhi and General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on party affairs.

"Though the Congress has bright prospect in the state to come to power in the next assembly polls, an unwanted debate is weakening the organisation. Unless the debate end now, it would damage the party," state leaders conveyed to the central leaders, according to sources.

Several leaders making public statements on the next Chief Minister has virtually led the party into a divided house in Karnataka. The Central leaders must intervene to ensure the party leaders should work unitedly to strengthen the organisation, the state leaders have told the party top brass. Senior leader B R Patil also accompanied them during the meeting.

Speaking to reporters, Hariprasad said he has no plan to complain against any leaders. After Assembly elections MLAs and the party high command will take a call on who should be the next Chief Minister, he said.

"First we should focus on winning elections. After that we can discuss on who should be the next Chief Minister," he said.

"There is nothing wrong if a few people expressed their wishes about a particular leader should be next Chief Minister, but it should not harm the party," he said.

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