Karnataka Congress leaders mount pressure on top brass to appoint KPCC president early

Restless over the Congress delaying the decision on new state unit president, senior leaders from the party have begun to mount pressure on the top brass to make the appointment at the earliest.

Former Minister K J George, a close confidant of former Chief Minister Siddarmaiah, met Congress president Sonia Gandhi here on Friday and requested her to appoint a new party chief for the state immediately.

Sources close to George old DH that he also lobbied for Siddaramaiah, asking the party president to continue to allow him to hold the post of both the Leader of Opposition and the Leader of Congress Legislative Party.

George is also learnt to have said that since the state budget session is scheduled to start February 17, it will be better if Siddaramaiah is allowed to hold both the posts as he could counter the government assertively on the floor of Assembly.

Separately, senior Congress leader H K Patil also arrived in the national capital and is meeting senior leaders.

Speaking to the mediapersons, Patil said he would meet Karnataka in-charge general secretary K C Venugopal and apprise him about the urgent need for appoint new president .

Though the incumbent president Dinesh Gundu Rao resigned soon after the party candidates faced a humiliating defeat in the Assembly bypolls, the party had asked him to continue till the new person is appointed.

Sources in the party claimed that new president would be appointed by the end of this month, the party top brass are worried over factionalism in the state unit.

While Siddaramaiah is batting for former Minister M B Patil for state unit president, another group is lobbying for Vokkaliga Leader and former Minister D K Shivakumar.

A section of leaders including Former Union Minister K H Muniyappa, Rajya Sabha Member B K Hariprasad and former Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara are opposing Patil’s appointment.

With the political pundits blaming the delay in appointment of New Delhi state President as one of the key reasons for the party set back in Delhi assembly elections, the leaders Karnataka are also worried that the delay in rejig of the organization in the state would damage party prospects in the southern state in the long run.