BELAGAVI: Several Congress leaders are exerting pressure on the party high command for the post of KPCC president even as the top party leadership is in a dilemma unable to take a call on it.
As a section of the party leadership rallies behind DK Shivakumar for the coveted post, his political bete noire Satish Jarkiholi, a five-time legislator met several top Congress leaders in New Delhi on Friday in an attempt to make it to the top post.
According to sources, a section of top party leaders from the group of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is strongly supporting Satish Jarkiholi, trying to project him as a leader of backward classes' alternative to Siddaramaiah in the state in an attempt to stake their claim on party's top post.
Some other noted leaders within the Congress fold who are at loggerheads with Shivakumar also are said to have teamed up to push Satish's case to prevent Shivakumar from making it.
Jarkiholi met Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and KC Venugopal in New Delhi on Friday staking his claim for the KPCC president's post. He tried to convince them as to how the party would be benefitted politically by having him at the helm in Karnataka.
A close associate of Jarkiholi said, "While trying to prove his point, Jarkiholi told the leaders in New Delhi that he has 30 years of experience in state politics, having won thrice as MLA and twice as MLC besides being the minister in two different state cabinets. He reminded them of the mammoth conventions of backward classes which he took up in the state along with Siddaramaiah including Valmiki convention organised by him which was attended by about 5 lakh people.''
Besides the leaders in the Siddaramaiah's group, his associate says, many top leaders from North Karnataka have already extended support to him. Jarkiholi's associates call Shivakumar as a "tainted leader'' with several cases filed against him while calling Jarkiholi as a leader with a clean image.
Also a sugar baron from Belagavi, Satish enjoys a massive people's support across North Karnataka, particularly among the backward classes and minorities. He has been instrumental in the victories of several party candidates in the elections held to assembly and council in the last two decades in various parts of North Karnataka.
Sources close to Jarkiholi's family said that the possible elevation of Shivakumar to the top party post could be a huge setback for Jarkiholis as the two have indulged in bitter political clashes in the recent times.
On his return to Bengaluru from New Delhi today, Jarkiholi was busy with the party meeting and was not available for comments.