BENGALURU: The frontrunner in the race to become KPCC president, DK Shivakumar, currently in New Delhi, is said to have met senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad and Madhusudhan Mistry on Monday. However, the official announcement on who will take over this post is still pending. Shivakumar is said to still be in the national capital, meeting various leaders at the AICC office.
Meanwhile, in Karnataka, Congress leaders continue to hold meetings with senior leaders such as Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah, G Parameshwara and others. Most of these meetings revolve around various office-bearers and how the party needs to address the hurdle of the door-to-door campaigns that the BJP is carrying out with regard to the CAA/NRC.
Former Union Minister Kharge, whose name has been doing the rounds for the KPCC chief post, has been vocal about the fact that he is not in the race for the role.
Congress sources explained that the delay over the announcement of Congress office-bearers is because former CM Siddaramaiah had come up with the idea of having four working presidents, and while some are for it, others say the move will dilute the role of the KPCC president.
Meanwhile, former minister MB Patil, a Lingayat leader, is said to be still in the race for the KPCC top post. Some Congressmen were quick to point out that Shivakumar being embroiled in legal issues could be one reason for the high command’s delay in making a decision.
Sources said that although the decision is imminent and long-pending, the matter could take some more time. The Congress central leadership is waiting to sort out a few things before making a formal announcement. Sources say there is also a lot of pressure in this exercise, as whoever is chosen KPCC president and working president will be around for a few years, and would be responsible for rebuilding the party. This, Congress sources say, cannot be done in a hurry, considering the challenges the party is facing.