ENS

Bangalore, Jan 25: Ending three years of speculation on his return to active politics, former Chief Minister and Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna is finally set to resign from his gubernatorial post on January 29. But he is likely to return to active politics in mid-February.

Krishna, who was scheduled to resign on Wednesday, however, had to defer plans as Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh was out of country on an official visit to Davos.

He is likely to remain aloof for a couple of weeks until key committees like the election committee, campaign committee and publicity committee are constituted. These would be constituted after AICC general secretary in charge of affairs in the State Prithviraj Chavan arrives in Bangalore later this month.

It is highly unlikely that there would be a major surgery to the KPCC as projected earlier as the time is too short for the new team to settle and get onto the task of facing polls. Krishna, who is unlikely to contest an Assembly seat, is likely to be made an AICC functionary during the polls.

He will spearheading the election campaign and guide a team of leaders headed by KPCC president Mallikharjun Kharge. This website’s newspaper on January 9 had broken the story that Krishna would be made the over all head of the Congress election committee. Congress high command, which is actively considering holding polls in first week of May, has already made it clear that it would not project any Chief Ministerial candidate in Karnataka.

Instead, a team of leaders headed by Kharge and comprising prominent backward caste leader, a minority leader and a Lingayat to complete all major caste combinations.

Kharge, however, is likely to continue to yield power in allotment of seats as he would in all probability, become the election committee chairman, while Krishna will be a part of the AICC election team and would be made the overall head.