Bengaluru: Amid reports that the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is struggling to pick either D K Shivakumar or M B Patil as the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee’s (KPCC) new president, senior leaders have formed separate groups and started lobbying for the party’s senior-most leader, Mallikarjun Kharge.
According to sources, former chief minister M Veerappa Moily is leading this the group that is backing Kharge and has already met twice. “The committee’s first meeting was held in Bengaluru. Another meeting was held in New Delhi,” said sources in the Congress’ state unit.
This group comprises party leaders like B K Hariprasad, K H Muniyappa, etc. “This group has already requested Kharge not to reject the KPCC president’s post if the AICC offers it to him,” said sources in the Congress.
“These senior leaders are aware of the fact that if DKShi or M B Patil becomes the party’s state unit president, it will be the end of their political careers. Batting for Kharge is their strategy for survival,” explained a Congress leader privy to the developments.
