BJP's focus on Dalits in Karnataka puts Congress in a fix
BENGALURU: BJP national president Amit Shah's focus on Dalits has pushed the Congress into a fix on who should head the party in poll-bound Karnataka.
"Our national leadership is keen on a gung-ho party president who will widen our base. But now, there is some confusion over whether there will be a backlash if we replace our current party president, a Dalit, with someone from a majority community," a senior party leader told ET.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, incumbent party president G Parameshwara and a few senior ministers will meet Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi along with party's state in-charge secretary K C Venugopal on Monday.
Sources said the party high command had been in favour of Karnataka's power minister and Vokkaliga strongman D K Shivakumar. Shivakumar is considered the most suitable person in the state Congress to take on Amit Shah. The rub, however, has come in the form of the outreach to Dalits by Shah as well as BJP's state president B S Yeddyurappa.
"The Dalits form a very big chunk of our vote bank. Venugopal may recommend that Parameshwara be continued, despite him completing six-and- a -half years in the job," the senior leader quoted above said. The alternative plan is to bring in scheduled tribes leader Satish Jharkiholi, a former close confidante of Siddaramaiah.
The CM is still sticking to his nominees, former minister S R Patil and water resources minister M B Patil, both from Lingayat community. "Law minister T B Jayachandra (Vokkaliga) is emerging as the dark horse," another leader said.
"Our national leadership is keen on a gung-ho party president who will widen our base. But now, there is some confusion over whether there will be a backlash if we replace our current party president, a Dalit, with someone from a majority community," a senior party leader told ET.
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, incumbent party president G Parameshwara and a few senior ministers will meet Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi along with party's state in-charge secretary K C Venugopal on Monday.
Sources said the party high command had been in favour of Karnataka's power minister and Vokkaliga strongman D K Shivakumar. Shivakumar is considered the most suitable person in the state Congress to take on Amit Shah. The rub, however, has come in the form of the outreach to Dalits by Shah as well as BJP's state president B S Yeddyurappa.
"The Dalits form a very big chunk of our vote bank. Venugopal may recommend that Parameshwara be continued, despite him completing six-and- a -half years in the job," the senior leader quoted above said. The alternative plan is to bring in scheduled tribes leader Satish Jharkiholi, a former close confidante of Siddaramaiah.
The CM is still sticking to his nominees, former minister S R Patil and water resources minister M B Patil, both from Lingayat community. "Law minister T B Jayachandra (Vokkaliga) is emerging as the dark horse," another leader said.