Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 1: Even as the name of D K Shivakumar is emerging as the unanimous choice of 'original' Congressmen for the post of the president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), sources say that former chief minister, Siddaramaiah, has been stoutly opposing this move. He has been strongly backing former minister M B Patil, for this post.

As per information, the Congress wants to distribute posts of KPCC president and leader of the opposition in the assembly to prominent leaders of communities that have been left out, in order to project the image of doing social justice. The high command wants leaders of Vokkaliga, Lingayat, backward classes and Dalit communities to be in strategic spots for this to happen. It is said that party's national president, Sonia Gandhi, wants to give the post of the leader of the Congress legislature party to former deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwar and retain Siddaramaiah as the leader of the opposition in the assembly. The senior leaders plan to pacify former minister and veteran leader H K Patil, who is unhappy at the way original Congressmen have been ignored, by giving him the post of either All India Congress Committee general secretary or member of the Congress Working Committee.

Siddaramaiah (left) and D K Shivakumar

It is said that the national leaders are in favour of making D K Shivakumar the KPCC president but Siddaramaiah wants this post to be given to prominent Lingayat leader M B Patil, and to make former minister, Krishna Byre Gowda the working president. The high command, which wants to sort out these issues and take a final decision, has reportedly invited M B Patil, Shivakumar, Siddaramaiah and Dr G Parameshwar to come to Delhi during January first week.