Venugopal to hold meetings to douse discontent in Congress

Congress expected to finalise candidates for bypolls to three Council seats

BENGALURU - KARNATAKA - 08/05/2017 : The All-India Congress Committee general secretary K C Venugopal, also in-charge of Karnataka, during the brainstorming session with office-bearers of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), at Congress office on Queens road, in Bengaluru, on May 08, 2017. Photo K Murali Kumar

All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal, who arrived here on Saturday, will be holding a series of meetings with senior leaders of the party on Sunday to douse the simmering discontent among party leaders.

During talks with senior leaders, the party is expected to finalise its candidates for the byelections to three Legislative Council seats, MLAs to be inducted into the Cabinet, the candidate for Bengaluru Mayor’s post — election for which is scheduled this month-end, and identify party workers/leaders for appointing as heads of boards and corporations.

Besides the president and the working president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is expected to return to the city from Europe tour, would participate in the meetings.

The Jarkiholi brothers — Municipal Administration Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi and Satish Jarkiholi, who have been at loggerheads with top leaders of the party after elections to a cooperative bank in Belagavi earlier this month, have said that they would announce their next course of action after talks with Mr. Siddaramaiah, a leader they are close to.

The party central leadership, which seems to be unhappy with the developments in the State Congress, has deputed Mr. Venugopal to sort out differences among the leaders that are denting the image of the coalition government headed by H.D. Kumaraswamy. Sources said JD(S) national president H.D. Deve Gowda has demanded Mr. Venugopal to act quickly to sort out the differences to ensure stability of the government.

Selection of candidates for the byelections to the Council from the Legislative Assembly constituency has become a headache for the party, with nearly a dozen of senior leaders seeking ticket to contest the polls on October 3.

Cabinet expansion

The delay in Cabinet expansion is said to be one of the reasons for the discontent among senior leaders. Several leaders such as Ramalinga Reddy, Roshan Baig, Tanvir Sait, and M.B. Patil have been seeking Cabinet berths.

Sources said the party might opt for younger legislators to fill six Cabinet berths under its quota and appeal to senior leaders to work for the party since the general elections are scheduled to be held in less than a year.