Congress bosses in no hurry to fill CLP, KPCC posts, may wait till mid-Jan

Bengaluru: Despite speculation that the Congress high command could fill the posts of Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president very soon, it appears it could drag its feet on the appointments till mid- January.

The two posts have fallen vacant following the resignations of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as Congress Legislature Party leader and Dinesh Gundurao as KPCC chief, who quit owing moral responsibility for the party's poor showing in the recent byelections to 15 assembly constituencies.

Party sources say that rather than fill these posts immediately, the Congress' national leaders are likely to focus on the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session in Jaipur where interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi may step down and Rahul Gandhi return as party president.

Moreover, with no major political activity scheduled in Karnataka, they say it is highly unlikely that the Congress high command will appoint a new Congress Legislature Party leader or KPCC president soon. There could be some urgency, however, in making the two appointments if the state legislature session is convened in the second week of January, they admit.

Meanwhile, there is talk that the Siddaramaiah camp could back former Assembly Speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar for the post of Congress Legislature Party leader and Krishna Byregowda for the position of KPCC president.

The party’s old guard, on the other hand, may back senior leader D.K. Shivakumar for the KPCC post and leaders like H.K. Patil and Dr G. Parameshwar could enter the race for the position of CLP leader, according to sources. Former Kolar MP K.H. Muniyappa has already staked his claim to the post of KPCC chief.

Going by sources, the Congress high command may do a balancing act by giving one post each to the old guard and the “newcomers” to the party.