<p>Amid a cold war between former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Pradesh Congress president D K Shivakumar, the Congress high command is giving preference to old-timers instead of newcomers in appointing party leaders to different posts.</p>.<p>The appointments made by the party top brass for the past few days clearly indicate that Shivakumar is virtually gaining the upper hand in the organisation against Siddaramaiah.</p>.<p>Shivakumar, who has been aggressively pushing the party Delhi brass to give party posts to old-timers instead of newcomers, seems to have succeeded in keeping Siddaramaiah's loyalists away from any key posts.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/meeting-between-anand-singh-shivakumar-sparks-speculation-1076587.html" target="_blank">Meeting between Anand Singh, Shivakumar sparks speculation</a></strong></p>.<p>For the past few days, the party made several appointments like B K Hariprasad as <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/congress-appoints-ex-rs-member-b-k-hariprasad-as-its-leader-in-karnataka-legislative-council-1075005.html" target="_blank">Leader of the party in Karnataka Legislative Council</a>, Prakash Rathod as the chief whip, K Govindraj as the Congress Deputy Leader of Legislative Council, U T Khader as <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/u-t-khader-appointed-deputy-leader-of-congress-in-karnataka-assembly-1076153.html" target="_blank">Deputy Leader in Legislative Assembly</a>, and M B Patil as Campaign Committee head.</p>.<p>Though Siddaramiah had been pushing former Minister C M Ibrahim as party leader in the Legislative Council, the party opted for Hariprasad.</p>.<p>Hariprasad, a veteran Congress leader, has been projecting himself as the OBC face in the party to counter Siddaramaiah.</p>.<p>The party, while ignoring Ibrahim, also did not give any post to another Siddaramaiah loyalist Zameer Ahmed Khan.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/bjp-takes-dig-at-karnataka-congresss-infighting-says-rift-wide-open-1076346.html" target="_blank">BJP takes dig at Karnataka Congress's infighting, says rift wide open</a></strong></p>.<p>By appointing Khader, the party sent two messages – one that it is giving a post to a minority leader and another that is he is an old-timer.</p>.<p>Though M B Patil was considered close to Siddaramaiah, senior Congress leaders in AICC said that the party gave him the post considering his seniority and clout among the Lingayat community.</p>.<p>Earlier also, the party top brass appointed Salim Ahmed, close to Shivakumar, as working president.</p>.<p>"The party high command used only loyalists as criteria while making all these appointments," said the leader.</p>.<p>The party wanted to overhaul the organisation by ensuring all plum posts should go to loyalists only, the leader said.</p>.<p>Soon after Shivakumar became PCC president in March 2020, senior leaders including Mallikarjuna Kharge, M Veerappa Moily, K H Muniyappa, B K Hariprasad and G Parameshwara backed Shivakumar's stand on giving preference to party loyalists over newcomers. Besides, these leaders were also lobbying at Delhi to reduce the clout of Siddaramaiah and his followers.</p>.<p>There was a long-standing grouse among party leaders that Siddaramaiah has been giving preference to his followers, who mostly came from Janata Parivar, instead of original Congressmen.</p>.<p>Shivakumar, who is a Chief Ministerial contender, also wanted to reshuffle district units. However, it was stalled after Siddaramaiah opposed the removal of some of his loyalists from district and block-level office bearers.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>
<p>Amid a cold war between former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Pradesh Congress president D K Shivakumar, the Congress high command is giving preference to old-timers instead of newcomers in appointing party leaders to different posts.</p>.<p>The appointments made by the party top brass for the past few days clearly indicate that Shivakumar is virtually gaining the upper hand in the organisation against Siddaramaiah.</p>.<p>Shivakumar, who has been aggressively pushing the party Delhi brass to give party posts to old-timers instead of newcomers, seems to have succeeded in keeping Siddaramaiah's loyalists away from any key posts.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/meeting-between-anand-singh-shivakumar-sparks-speculation-1076587.html" target="_blank">Meeting between Anand Singh, Shivakumar sparks speculation</a></strong></p>.<p>For the past few days, the party made several appointments like B K Hariprasad as <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/congress-appoints-ex-rs-member-b-k-hariprasad-as-its-leader-in-karnataka-legislative-council-1075005.html" target="_blank">Leader of the party in Karnataka Legislative Council</a>, Prakash Rathod as the chief whip, K Govindraj as the Congress Deputy Leader of Legislative Council, U T Khader as <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/u-t-khader-appointed-deputy-leader-of-congress-in-karnataka-assembly-1076153.html" target="_blank">Deputy Leader in Legislative Assembly</a>, and M B Patil as Campaign Committee head.</p>.<p>Though Siddaramiah had been pushing former Minister C M Ibrahim as party leader in the Legislative Council, the party opted for Hariprasad.</p>.<p>Hariprasad, a veteran Congress leader, has been projecting himself as the OBC face in the party to counter Siddaramaiah.</p>.<p>The party, while ignoring Ibrahim, also did not give any post to another Siddaramaiah loyalist Zameer Ahmed Khan.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-politics/bjp-takes-dig-at-karnataka-congresss-infighting-says-rift-wide-open-1076346.html" target="_blank">BJP takes dig at Karnataka Congress's infighting, says rift wide open</a></strong></p>.<p>By appointing Khader, the party sent two messages – one that it is giving a post to a minority leader and another that is he is an old-timer.</p>.<p>Though M B Patil was considered close to Siddaramaiah, senior Congress leaders in AICC said that the party gave him the post considering his seniority and clout among the Lingayat community.</p>.<p>Earlier also, the party top brass appointed Salim Ahmed, close to Shivakumar, as working president.</p>.<p>"The party high command used only loyalists as criteria while making all these appointments," said the leader.</p>.<p>The party wanted to overhaul the organisation by ensuring all plum posts should go to loyalists only, the leader said.</p>.<p>Soon after Shivakumar became PCC president in March 2020, senior leaders including Mallikarjuna Kharge, M Veerappa Moily, K H Muniyappa, B K Hariprasad and G Parameshwara backed Shivakumar's stand on giving preference to party loyalists over newcomers. Besides, these leaders were also lobbying at Delhi to reduce the clout of Siddaramaiah and his followers.</p>.<p>There was a long-standing grouse among party leaders that Siddaramaiah has been giving preference to his followers, who mostly came from Janata Parivar, instead of original Congressmen.</p>.<p>Shivakumar, who is a Chief Ministerial contender, also wanted to reshuffle district units. However, it was stalled after Siddaramaiah opposed the removal of some of his loyalists from district and block-level office bearers.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here</strong></p>