Karnataka   

Leadership change talk irks Kharge

BANGALORE: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge dubbed the talk of his replacement for which several Congress leaders, including the former Minister D.K. Shivakumar, have been pressing for as a rumour.

Mr. Kharge told The Hindu that as of now, the party high command had not given any indication to him or his colleagues about such a development and ruled out any change in the leadership of the State unit.

Expressing his surprise over the rumours spread and demanded by some party leaders for a change, Mr. Kharge, who looked upset by the campaign, said that all senior leaders of the party had ruled out such a possibility.

Mr. Kharge said it was the former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh, who first clarified that there was no question of revamping the party at the top level in the State unit. Then came the AICC Spokesperson, the former Chief Minister M. Veerappa Moily and Union Minister of State for Labour Oscard Fernandes, who said that the high command had no intention of effecting any change in the State leadership.

Asked why then the party leaders, some of whom close to the Maharashtra Governor S.M. Krishna had been reiterating their demand with the high command to infuse fresh blood in the State unit, Mr. Kharge said: “Congress is like a ocean and moreover there is internal democracy and the workers and leaders have freedom to express their desire, but that does not mean, the high command had favoured them.” High Command, he said, however would come out with an appropriate reaction at the right moment.

A large number of party leaders led by Chalavadi Narayanaswamy had met the senior leaders in New Delhi and urged them not to displace Mr. Kharge when the State unit was facing elections.

Another group led by the former MLA M.R. Sitaram had demanded the high command that Mr. Kharge should be continued. Asked if the campaign was a conspiracy to remove him at this crucial juncture, Mr. Kharge said he would concentrate on uniting the party cadre.

Gulbarga Staff Correspondent writes:

Mr. Dharam Singh on Wednesday said that the question of change in the State leadership did not arise. Moreover, the party was doing well under the leadership of M. Mallikarjun Kharge. He said that after the elections in Gujarat, the party in charge of Karnataka, Prithivraj Chavan would arrive in Bangalore.

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