The tempo of party activity in connection with the election of the new leader of the Mysore Legislature Congress Party on May 23 is reaching a crescendo. A precise picture is likely to emerge only to-morrow evening [May 22]. The groups backing the young Public Works Minister, Mr. Veerendra Patil, and the Food Minister and former Chief Minister, Mr. B.D. Jatti, appeared poised against each other with no visible sign of relenting in the race for leadership. Interpreting last night’s comment by the outgoing Chief Minister, Mr. S. Nijalingappa, that without reference to the issue in question he always preferred youth, as backing Mr. Patil, the supporters of Mr. Jatti to-day [May 21] said the contest on May 23 would be “a fight between Mr. Jatti and the Congress President, Mr. Nijalingappa.” This interpretation was given to Pressmen this evening [May 21] by Mr. G.V. Hallikeri, M.L.C., who is backing Mr. Jatti. A spokesman of the Patil group commenting on Mr. Hallikeri’s interpretation, said Mr. Jatti’s supporters were welcome to make any inferences and statements. He pointed out that Mr. Nijalingappa had not advised anyone so far on the stand he should take in the leadership tussle. Speaking on behalf of the Jatti group, Mr. D.M. Siddiah, Chief Whip of the Legislature Congress Party told Pressmen that the question of any compromise would not arise since some expected developments had not taken place. It was expected that some people would meet Mr. Nijalingappa and convey to him an assessment of the situation, but Mr. Nijalingappa had not yet called them. Asked about the chances of unanimity in the choice of the new leader, a spokesman of the Patil group said the attitude of the other group did not seem to be helpful for reaching unanimity. They had been making statements which vitiated the atmosphere and how could there be a proper climate for efforts at unanimity, he asked.
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