Parameshwara wants Cong High Command to appoint K'taka Chief, CLP leader at the earliest

Bengaluru: As leadership crisis continues in the Congress Karnataka unit, senior party leader G Parameshwara on Wednesday urged the high command to announce appointments for the posts of state president and legislature party leader at the earliest in order to function as an effective opposition.

Targeting the ruling BJP over the delay in ministry expansion, he predicted challenging days ahead of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, once the exercise is carried out.

“We have insisted the high command (Congress) to announce (appointees) soon.

As Delhi elections are on, most probably they are busy with it, but still I request once again our high command to clear this confusion soon, so that we can actively work as opposition to awaken this ineffective government in the state,” Parameshwara said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said as there is legislature session from February 17, the party will have to raise issues like “collapse of administration and failure in implementing developmental work.”

So the party cannot sit quiet with such a situation and the appointments to these posts should be made at the earliest so that workers can function effectively, he said.

“There may be difference of opinion amongst us, but keeping them aside we will have have to work together in the interest of the party,” the senior leader said.

Pointing out that he had called a meeting of senior Congress leaders recently to evolve consensus to work together, Parameshwara said everyone has agreed to that and if the state president is appointed immediately, he can take the responsibility of taking everyone together.

CongressLegislature Party leader Siddaramaiah and stateCongresschief Dinesh Gundu Rao had quit their posts last month after the party posted a poor show, winning only two of the 15 seats in the Decemberbypolls while it had held 12 of them.

Recently power struggle within the state Congresshad come to the fore, with senior leaders openly contradicting each other on appointments for key vacant posts besides issues like splitting posts of Leader of Opposition and CLP leader and creation of multiple Working Presidents post.

While senior leader D K Shivakumar is seen as the front runner for the post of KPCC president, Siddaramaiah is said to have pushed for his confidant M B Patil.

He is also said to have demanded four working presidents if his candidate is not considered for the KPCC chief post.

Aimed at retaining the posts that he had resigned from, Siddaramaiah had recently saidthe CongressLegislature Party (CLP) leader and Leader of Opposition (LOP) posts in the state should not be “separated”, and be held by one person.

However, Parameshwara and another senior leader H K Patil who are aspiring for the CLP leader post have favoured the split.

Targeting the BJP leadership and Chief Minister Yediyurappa over the delay in the Ministry expansion, Parameshwara claimed there will be more confusion within the ruling party after the cabinet expansion.

“….17 (defectors), they have to give minister post, but now reports suggest 8 or 9 of them will be given, once the cabinet is expanded everything will be clear,” he said.

“There will be more confusion after expansion as it will be difficult for Yediyurappa to convince anyone and there are a lot of challenges ahead of him, which is actually causing the delay in expansion, he added.

According to BJP sources, there are talks within the state BJP that the expansion of the Ministry was likely to take place on Friday, and Yediyurappa may travel to New Delhi on Thursday to get final approval from party high command.