Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Dec 20: After much dilly-dallying over resignations tendered to their respective posts by Siddaramaiah, leader of the opposition in the assembly and Congress legislature party leader, and Dinesh Gundu Rao, president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), All India Congress Committee (AICC) is understood to have made up its mind to overhaul the state Congress unit.

Congress leaders, Madhusudan Mistry and Bhaktacharan Das,who have been deputed by AICC to pool opinions over KPCC leadership, have collected opinions of Congress leaders and workers. It is said that many have told them that Siddaramaiah should not be continued as the leader of the opposition. There have also been a considerable number of people who insist that Siddaramaiah should be continued in his post. Senior leaders of the party want the leadership given to those who have remained loyal since long and sacrificed for the party. It is also said that a number of people are in the race for the KPCC presidential position, but D K Shivakumar's name is in the forefront. However, revamp of KPCC may not happen till the KPCC revamp, which is under way, happens.

Before beginning the exercise at Kumarakripa guest house, both Mistry and Das met Siddaramaiah,who is recuperating after angioplasty, and sought his view on breaking the deadlock. Siddaramaiah is said to have told them that he would abide by any decision of the high command. He also said that he will personally tell Sonia Gandhi about his choice for the post of KPCC president.

Many leaders told the observers that collective leadership should be implemented as opposed to autocratic style owned by Siddaramaiah. Most of the people wanted the ouster of Dinesh Gundu Rao. It is also said that several expressed the opinion that the party faced defeat earlier as it earned the ire of prominent casts, Vokkaligas and Lingayats. There was overwhelming support for Shivakumar's leadership as he is a Vokkaliga, and has aggressive leadership qualities.

Party sources said that Siddaramaiah evinced interest in continuing as leader of the Congress legislature party and suggested the name of former speaker, Rameh Kumar, for the post of the leader of the opposition in the assembly. There is an expectation that he will favour M B Patil to be the next KPCC president.

Congress leaders M Veerappa Moily, B K Hariprasad, K B Koliwad, Ramalinga Reddy B L Shankar, K H Muniyappa, Vinay Kumar Sorake, Rajeev Gowda, G C Chandrashekhar, Abhayachandra Jain, Laxmi Hebbalkar, H K Patil, M B Patil, D K S, Ishwar khandre, H M Revanna and others took part in the process.