Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore   

Muniyappa ready to be KPCC Chief

By Our Special Correspondent

Bangalore Oct. 22. K.H. Muniyappa, senior Congress MP for Kolar Lok Sabha constituency, has expressed his readiness to serve as President of the KPCC if the AICC President, Sonia Gandhi, asks him to.

Speaking to presspersons today, Mr. Muniyappa, who has been elected to the Lok Sabha four times, noted that there were precedents of MPs being appointed PCC chiefs. The Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, was a member of the Rajya Sabha when he was appointed party President in 1999. Oscar Fernandes and Janardhana Poojary, had been appointed to the party post when they were MPs.

The KPCC President, Allum Veerabhadrappa, has expressed his desire to resign and the AICC has put off the appointment of a successor in view of crises such as the Cauvery waters dispute and the abduction of the former minister, H. Nagappa.

Mr. Muniyappa's name figures among those who are in the reckoning for the post. There is also a demand for the appointment of an SC leader belonging to the "left hand" sect as the State Congress President and Mr. Muniyappa's name is being canvassed on that ground also. He is also the whip of the Congress parliamentary party and General Secretary SC/ST MPs' Forum.

Mr. Muniyappa maintained that the MPs from the State were active and safeguarding the interests of the State on the Cauvery and other issues.

He hit out at the VHP leader, Praveen Togadia, for his remarks on Ms. Sonia Gandhi and said they revealed his desperation at the growing popularity of the Congress President. Mr. Togadia was unaware of the Indian tradition of showing respect to women, though he was a VHP leader.

Mr. Togadia should remember that Ms. Sonia Gandhi was also the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the shadow Prime Minister of the country.

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