Home lost, party won for Dr G Parameshwar?

Bengaluru: Despite a four hour marathon session on Monday with AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah pushed for his candidate, a Lingayat to cut the earth from under the BJP's Lingayat voter base, the consensus could yet veer round to sitting KPCC chief Dr. G. Parameshwar.

Except, he may have to give up his much prized portfolio - home. And he may have to work with a team of two or three new working presidents and a campaign committee chairman for elections, a post which is likely to go to the election whiz D.K. Shivakumar, who is a strong contender for KPCC president, if he doesn’t get nominated for the PCC president post.

The others in the race for PCC president besides, Dr Parameshwar are S.R. Patil, a Lingayat strongman that the CM has his eye on, and K.H. Muniyappa, a SC from Kolar.

"The PCC president has to focus on elections so he will have a lot of work to do. Therefore a president cannot hold two posts," sources explained. Mr Gandhi is not expected to announce a decision until Tuesday, but as one  Congress insider said: "Since the majority of the leaders favoured continuation of the existing set up, the continuation of Dr Parameshwar seems bright."

Mr Gandhi's interaction with state leaders and the report given by AICC general secretary, K.C. Venugopal will be pivotal.   

Explaining the rationale behind the possible decision to continue with Dr Parameshwar, sources said that the meeting discussed the present political climate in the country and more so in Karnataka. “Majority of those who attended the meeting reportedly said that considering the caste combination needed for winning the elections, it is better to continue the present set up,” sources said. If a new president was appointed he would need a lot of time to learn the ropes. Secondly, the new president may not get the required co-operation from the other contenders who were in the race so it would be appropriate to continue the present set up.