Parameshwara to remain KPCC chief; has Digvijaya's word for it

AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday said there is neither a vacancy for the KPCC president’s post nor is there a contest for it in the state Congress.

G Parameshwara is the KPCC president. The party high command will take an appropriate decision on appointing the new president, if necessary, he told reporters who sought his reaction to speculation in political circles that the high command may appoint a new party chief.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is learnt to have recently suggested to the high command that appointment of a new party president will help strengthen the organisation ahead of the 2018 Assembly elections. A number of party leaders, including D K Shivakumar, M B Patil, K H Muniyappa and S R Patil, have been lobbying for the party president’s post.

Singh, who on Monday met senior party leaders to discuss preparations for next year’s Assembly elections, is learnt to have elicited opinions of the state leaders on appointing a new president. Parameshwara, too, has been making efforts to continue in the post.

On expanding the council of ministers and nominating members to the Karnataka Legislative  Council, the AICC general secretary said the chief minister will take an appropriate decision in this regard.

This apart, senior leaders are learnt to have decided to commence the process of shortlisting probable candidates to contest the 2018 Assembly elections. To begin with, probable candidates will be identified in constituencies where the party failed to win in the last elections. An Assembly constituency-wise panel will be formed for this purpose, sources in the party said.

The leaders also decided to organise a convention of all castes, including upper castes, across the state in order to woo them. The state unit has so far focused only on Dalits and backward classes. People belonging to upper castes should not be neglected, the leaders are learnt to have resolved.

In Hubballi, interacting with journalists, Digvijaya Singh said the party will face the 2018 Assembly elections under the leadership of Siddaramaiah. After the elections, the newly elected MLAs would select the chief minister.

On the victory in the byelections, he said it reaffirms the fact that the Congress is giving a clean and progressive administration.

“It has proven that if the party fights elections unitedly, then none can defeat it,” he added. Replying to a question, he said EVMs used in the byelections were not tampered with.

Disciplinary action

Digvijaya Singh said a committee headed by senior party leader A K Antony will decide on the action to be taken against party leaders Janardhana Poojary and H Vishwanath for their reported anti-party statements