DK Shivakumar in Delhi to discuss Karnataka Congress unit revamp

With the next Assembly election just about 18 months away, the state Congress is working hard to get its team battle-ready with new office-bearers.
KPCC president DK Shivakumar addresses the media at the  Congress office in Bengaluru. (File photo| Shriram BN, EPS)
KPCC president DK Shivakumar addresses the media at the  Congress office in Bengaluru. (File photo| Shriram BN, EPS)

BENGALURU: With the next Assembly election just about 18 months away, the state Congress is working hard to get its team battle-ready with new office-bearers. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) has not been fully revamped for about 12 years now.

State Congress president DK Shivakumar, who is in New Delhi, told The New Indian Express on phone, “I have come to discuss the list of new office-bearers with the central leadership.’’  This means there will be major changes in the KPCC and many district and block units too may see overhaul. Shivakumar has for long been pushing for a new set of office-bearers. He has also held several rounds of discussions with his team consisting of two working presidents and others. 

The KPCC was last recast about 12 years ago when Dr G Parameshwara was Pradesh Congress Committee president. He held the post for about eight years and thereafter, Dinesh Gundu Rao served for about three years. Shivakumar has been president for about 18 months now. Many of the Congress office-bearers have remained the same since then. 

A few months ago, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly and Congress Legislatire Party leader Siddaramaiah too had prepared a list and submitted it to the party central leadership.  All India Congress Committee  General Secretary in charge of Karnataka, Randeep Singh Surjewala, and General Secretary (Org) K C Venugopal had spoken to both Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah on this issue. 

On the issue of giving Congress tickets to disgruntled leaders from other parties who are planning to switch sides, Shivakumar said it has already been discussed with the central leadership about accommodating them so that no one in the party complains later if they are denied a ticket. Sources said some legislators from other parties have already made demands for tickets. 

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