Siddaramaiah to meet high command to finalise Karnataka Congress president, legislative party leader
A senior Congress leader close to Siddaramaiah said the latter would be flying to Delhi to meet the high command to finalise the candidates for Congress Legislature Party leader and Karnataka Congress president. DK Shivakumar and KH Muniyappa are the top contenders for the state party chief's post whereas the names that are doing the rounds for the post of CLP leader include HK Patil and former speaker KR Ramesh Kumar.
FollowBengaluru: With the selection of next Congress Legislature Party leader and state Congress president on the cards, former chief minister Siddaramaiah will be meeting the party high command in Delhi on Tuesday. A senior Congress leader confirmed the same on Sunday.
"Yes, he (Siddaramaiah) is leaving for Delhi on Monday evening. There is a meeting scheduled with the party high command on Tuesday," said the Congress leader close to Siddaramaiah.
DK Shivakumar and KH Muniyappa are the top contenders for the state party chief's post whereas the names that are doing the rounds for the post of CLP leader include HK Patil and former speaker KR Ramesh Kumar.
Siddaramaiah had stepped down as the CLP leader while Dinesh Gundu Rao had resigned as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president on December 9 after the party's poor performance in the Assembly bypolls held in 15 constituencies.
While the ruling BJP won 12 seats, Congress could secured only two seats namely Hunasuru and Shivajinagar. Independent candidate Sharath Bachegowda won from Hoskote.
The bypolls were necessitated due to the disqualification of 17 MLAs which toppled the Congress and JD(S) coalition government.
The bypolls were held in 15 constituencies whereas the decision regarding the two other Assembly segments namely RR Nagar and Maski was put on hold pending court order.
The BJP's thumping victory in the bypolls helped the saffron party gain majority in the Karnataka Assembly with 117 seats minus the Speaker.
The Congress and the JD(S) were expecting a substantial victory in the bypolls but the BJP's stellar performance left the leaders of the two parties in a state of shock.
The bypolls were an acid test for Siddaramaiah and Dinesh Gundu Rao.
