Bengaluru: The Congress on Wednesday went for a fine caste-balance in its choice of office-bearers for the party’s unit in Karnataka in the run-up to the Assembly elections in 2018.
While the official announcement to retain G Parameshwara as president came on expected lines to project a Dalit-friendly image for the party, the Congress has also fronted leaders from other communities for other key posts.
Lingayat leader from north Karnataka, S R Patil, has been made ‘working president’ for the north Karnataka region while Dinesh Gundu Rao continues as working president for the south.
In an effort to placate the dominant Vokkaliga community, energy minister D K Shivakumar has been asked to head the campaign committee, while seven-time MP K H Muniyappa, another Dalit face, has been inducted into the Congress Working Committee. Satish Jarkiholi, another disgruntled MLA who had gone to meet Rahul Gandhi ahead of the other leaders about being neglected in the party, has been made an AICC Secretary.
Parameshwara, who is also the state home minister, will resign from the Cabinet soon to devote all his time to strengthening the party in the run-up to polls, an official press release stated.
Last week, the party’s Karnataka-in-charge, AICC secretary K C Venugopal, spent nearly a week doing district-wise reviews of the party’s strengths and weaknesses.
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