Ahead of K'taka polls, Kharge calls meeting of state Congress leaders in Delhi on Monday

BENGALURU: As assembly elections in Karnataka are due in the next few months, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has called a meeting of the party's senior leaders from the state on Monday in New Delhi, to discuss the preparations and the strategy for the polls.

According to a party functionary, 14 leaders from the state, including Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar, and state Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, among others will be attending the meeting at the AICC office in the national capital.

Amid signs of factionalism within the state unit, Kharge is likely to instruct the party leaders to work in a united manner for ensuring victory, the functionary said, adding that discussions are likely to take place regarding preparations, tour plans, preliminary discussions regarding candidate selection, among others.

Confirming former chief minister Siddaramaiah's attendance at the meeting, his office in a statement said the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly will be travelling to Delhi tomorrow to attend a meeting of state party leaders called by the Congress President at 2 pm.

Addressing a mega rally of party workers in Kalaburagi on Saturday, Kharge had urged party leaders from the state to unitedly face the election and asserted that the high command will decide who will become the chief minister and ministers, on winning the polls.

He had also asked Congress workers and leaders to travel across the state and attract people towards the party, like the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi did.

The AICC chief's strong call for unity has come, as Congress appears to be faction-ridden, especially with its top two leaders -- Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah -- nursing Chief Ministerial ambitions in the event of the party coming to power, and are indulging in a game of political one-upmanship.