Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jan 3: The Congress is contemplating the desirability of creating four posts of working presidents for Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) in addition to the current post of one president of KPCC and leader of the Congress legislature party. In all possibility, these working presidents will represent prominent castes of four revenue divisions in the state.

The party is said to be thinking of appointing three additional working presidents in addition to Ishwar Khandre for achieving regional equilibrium based on castes. On the issue of the KPCC president, there is tug-of-war between the original Congressmen and Siddaramaiah faction, it is learnt. The national leadership has already invited prominent leaders of the party to Delhi to personally discuss the issues and arrive at a consensus. It is said that the high command of the party has decided to give representations to castes when choosing working presidents.

Siddaramaiah (left) and D K Shivakumar

The current working president of the state unit Ishwar Khandre, represents Kalyana Karnataka (north) division. The other three divisions are Mumbai Karnataka, Mysuru, and Bengaluru for which working presidents are likely to be chosen. The party leaders are in favour of resorting to regional calculations and give prominence to castes when choosing chief whips of the opposition in the assembly and council and deputy leaders of both the houses.

In the meantime, D K Shivakumar, who has been projected as one of the strong contenders for the post of the KPCC president, said that he does not expect to get any gift from the party and that he is not in a hurry for anything. He requested people to stop speculating on his moves or interests as he is working as a common worker of the party. He said he is fed up with sending replies to notices he keeps getting and hence not interested in anything at present.