Venugopal set to address Congress unrest, expected to back Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Congress national general secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, accompanied by members of the Lok Sabha's Public Accounts Committee (PAC), will arrive in Bengaluru on Wednesday. The PAC oversees the govt's financial accounts and operations of public sector undertakings.
On the sidelines of his official visit, Venugopal may try and quell growing unrest within the state Congress unit.He is likely to meet with chief minister Siddaramaiah and deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday and is expected to discuss preparations for byelections to three assembly constituencies — Channapatna, Sandur, and Shiggaon — and review potential candidates for these seats.
Amid rising uncertainty fuelled by the row surrounding the Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) case involving Siddaramaiah and his family, speculation over a change at the helm and secret meetings among ministers, Venugopal is expected to openly back Siddaramaiah. This move is intended to signal that the Congress high command remains firmly behind the embattled chief minister.
Although Venugopal's visit is linked to PAC-related work, sources suggest private meetings with key state functionaries may happen to address internal concerns within the party. "There are no official party engagements, but top functionaries of the state unit are likely to meet him. As a senior party organiser, Venugopal is expected to play a key role in easing tensions between factions supporting Siddaramaiah and those backing potential successors," said a senior party functionary.
Karnataka Congress has been experiencing internal strife, with members speculating about a possible leadership change and publicly airing grievances over the party's handling of several issues. Recent meetings of senior functionaries, including ministers such as G Parameshwara, Satish Jarkiholi, and HC Mahadevappa, have deepened speculation.
"Since he is an important functionary in our party, it is natural that he will observe how the govt and party are functioning in the state," said home minister Parameshwara when asked about Venugopal's visit. However, Parameshwara denied any specific plans to meet him.