ZP/ TP polls over, Dr G Parameshwar goes to Delhi

Bengaluru: Speculation is rife over Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dr G. Parameshwar’s visit to New Delhi soon after the Zilla Panchayat results were announced on Tuesday with a section of Congress leaders contending that his visit is to "brief" party senior leaders about the poll outcome while his close associate describe it as a "personal visit".

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a leader from a camp owing allegiance to Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah maintained that Dr Parameshwar, who has completed five years as PCC president, has gone to Delhi to inform party leaders about the poll outcome.  "It is quite common in the Congress, especially when two leaders (Read Siddaramaiah and Parameshwar)  do not like each other. Dr Parameshwar will use this opportunity to brief the leaders about where the party failed and what  needs to be done. However, I don’t think he would have discussed a change of leadership," the source explained.

The KPCC chief is likely to  highlight the party's position when he took over as PCC president  and faced the ZP/TP polls with full gusto when it was in the opposition. "He will certainly make a comparison of those results and the present outcome, which according to Mr Siddaramaiah, is not satisfactory as the party has won only 46 per cent of the seats it contested," the source added.

Dr Parameshwar is also  likely to bat for the "Loyal Congress brigade"  if the leadership is considering a change of KPCC president in the near future.

Minister Manju can’t escape the flak
With  the Congress losing the Hassan Zilla Panchayat by a mere five seats  in the 40-member House, disgruntled local Congressmen are accusing Animal Husbandry and district in-charge minister,  A Manju of  faulty selection of candidates. A group of Congressmen assembled in front of the Hassan District Congress office on Tuesday, raising slogans against Mr Manju and  accusing him of giving tickets to those who had migrated from the Janata Dal Secular at the last minute, and ignoring original Congress workers. Upset that the  JDS won 23 seats to retain power in the ZP, some demanded that Mr Manju should be replaced as district in- charge minister. “We have lost some seats because of the wrong decision taken by Mr Manju and district Congress president, B Shivaram in fielding  candidates,” charged a CMC member, who has been with the party for 15 years.  Another Congressman in Hassan said local leaders should have been taken into confidence when selecting candidates as they were in touch with the ground reality.