Oops! As Congress held unity meet, pamphlets reveal all differences
- Home Minister G Parameshwara's loyalists want him to continue as KPCC chief.
- They claimed that Parameshwara is being sidelined by CM Siddaramaiah.
- Parameshwara's loyalists targeted others who are being considered for the post.
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KC Venugopal may have orchestrated a fragile unity among members of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) but the divisions within the faction are telling. Supporters of Home Minister G Parameshwara recently distributed a four page pamphlet which exposed where loyalties lay within the party. In the document, a strong case was made for Parameshwara’s continuity as the KPCC chief.
Parameshwara’s loyal supporters Nalloorahalli Nagesh, Magadi Jayaram and Bhyrappa alleged that there is a deep divide between the Home Minister and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. They claimed that the CM is responsible for Parameshwara’s defeat in the 2013 state assembly elections.
The pamphlets were distributed when the coordination committee meeting took place earlier. Parameshwara’s loyalists indicated that there isn’t a consensus yet on the KPCC chief post.
While defending Parameshwara’s post, his supporters claimed that removing him at this point would be detrimental to the party since the assembly elections will be held in December. However, this hasn’t been confirmed.
They also said that the party’s strategy shouldn’t focus on the Lingayat community alone. They said, “The Chief Minister wishes to bring a Lingayat president (MB Patil), but we do not have any strong Lingayat leaders and this might cause more harm than good,” reported The New Indian Express. They hoped that his position as the KPCC chief would give him some power as he is being sidelined in his role as the Home Minister. They added that his nominations for MLCs was dismissed by Siddaramaiah.
It became clear that Parameshwara’s supporters don’t want anyone else as the KPCC chief. They also targeted other contenders who are being considered for the post. Leader of Opposition, Mallikarjuna Kharge and DK Shivakumar are considered to be top picks.
