Next KPCC chief from North Karnataka?

The next Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president is likely to be from North Karnataka, if one goes by the names doing rounds for the post. With incumbent president G. Parameshwara joining the Cabinet on Thursday, hectic lobbying has commenced for the post of the KPCC president.

Dr. Parameshwara, who was appointed KPCC president on October 27, 2010, has completed five years in office. The party will hold a mega function at the Palace Grounds on Friday to felicitate Dr. Parameshwara, who is from Tumakuru in South Karnataka. Sources in the party said names of several legislators, including Karnataka’s Delhi representative Appaji Nadagouda Patil (Muddebihal MLA), Minister for Water Resources M.B. Patil, and Minister for IT/BT S.R. Patil, are doing the rounds.

Sources said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Dr. Parameswhara dropped the names of a few Lingayat leaders from North Karnataka during consultations with AICC president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Digvijaya Singh.

Mr. Nadagouda Patil told

The Hindu on Thursday that the party high command has not tipped him for the KPCC chief’s post yet. “If the party gives me the opportunity, I will be ready to shoulder the responsibility,” he said.

Sources said that Mr. M.B. Patil has expressed his desire to continue in the Ministry. Mr. Nadagouda Patil and Mr. M.B. Patil hail from Vijayapura district. The sources also said that to gain control over the party affairs, the Chief Minister was keen on appointing Mr. S.R. Patil, from Bagalkot, as KPCC chief.

It is not yet known whether Dr. Parameshwara will continue to hold both posts or give up the party post to pave the way for the appointment of the new president before elections to the Legislative Council and to rural local bodies.