The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Congress leaders make a beeline for Chavan

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Sunday, Dec 16, 2007
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Congress leaders make a beeline for Chavan

Special Correspondent

Opinion divided among party leaders about change
Chavan likely to hold meeting with senior leaders today

BANGALORE: With the arrival of Union Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office Prithviraj Chavan, who is All India Congress Committee secretary in-charge of the State, here on Saturday, the demand for revamping the leadership of party’s State unit surfaced again.

A section of the Congress leaders and workers have been demanding replacement of the old guard, mostly from north Karnataka region, with more dynamic and resourceful leaders from the Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities.

A group of leaders supporting the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met Mr. Chavan at the Kumara Krupa guest house on Saturday and placed their demand for strengthening the party on the eve of Assembly elections.

Their claim is that the party should not ignore Mr. Siddaramaiah and it could not improve its tally in the Assembly elections with the present set-up.

Sources told The Hindu that opinion was divided on the change of leadership. While a section of leaders is in favour of going to the elections under the leadership of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president M. Mallikarjun Kharge while another section had been demanding change of leadership. Recently, a series of delegations of leaders from different wings of the State unit had met several central leaders.

Mr. Chavan would hold a day-long meeting with senior leaders of the party on Sunday and elicit their opinion.

Mr. Kharge, N. Dharam Singh, D.K. Shivakumar, R.V. Deshpande, and H.M. Revanna would meet him.

A majority of senior leaders have been opposing the change in leadership to keep the party’s base intact among the Dalits, backward classes and minorities. As Lingayats were showing a tilt towards the BJP and Vokkaligas towards the Janata Dal (Secular), the best option was to continue with Mr. Kharge to improve its position.

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