Amid power tussle, D.K. Shivakumar holds KPCC office-bearers’ meeting; decides to form committee to find reasons for LS poll debacle

Amidst a game of one-upmanship between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and State Congress chief and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on the demand for creation of multiple Deputy Chief Minister posts and replacement of the Chief Minister, Mr. Shivakumar on Monday asserted his authority by chairing a meeting of KPCC office-bearers to chalk out the party’s strategy for the bypolls to three Legislative Assembly constituencies and polls to urban and rural local bodies.

Amidst a game of one-upmanship between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and State Congress chief and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on the demand for creation of multiple Deputy Chief Minister posts and replacement of the Chief Minister, Mr. Shivakumar on Monday asserted his authority by chairing a meeting of KPCC office-bearers to chalk out the party’s strategy for the bypolls to three Legislative Assembly constituencies and polls to urban and rural local bodies.

Sending a strong message against the demand for “one-man, one-post” advocated by loyalists of Mr. Siddaramaiah, Mr. Shivakumar held discussions on the Lok Sabha poll outcome with the party’s office-bearers and District Congress Committee chiefs and decided to form a committee to find out reasons for the party’s poor show in the elections.

Against the expectation of winning 15 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress ended up winning only nine Lok Sabha seats. The fact-finding committee, which will tour the State, will make a presentation before an AICC committee.

After the Lok Sabha polls, the Chief Minister’s loyalists and some senior party leaders have been seeking replacement of Mr. Shivakumar from the KPCC chief’s post. Mr. Shivakumar currently holds the posts of the State Congress chief and two major portfolios, Bengaluru development and water resources.

The KPCC meeting took several decisions on the organisation’s preparedness and readiness to face the elections. It passed a resolution on the necessity of holding divisional-level meetings attended by the Chief Minister, the KPCC president, and senior leaders for analysing the Lok Sabha elections.

The KPCC meeting assumed significance in the wake of Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna reminding the party high command on the party’s “one man, one post policy” and continuation of Mr. Shivakumar as the KPCC president after the Lok Sabha polls. Apparently, a section of leaders, including Home Minister G. Parameshwara, said that there was nothing wrong with party leaders seeking the replacement of Mr. Shivakumar as he holds multiple posts. 

Sources in the party said Mr. Shivakumar told office-bearers that “some are trying to remove me from the party president’s post. But they are making a futile attempt”. The party’s Central leadership is believed to have told him to continue in the post and issue show-cause notices to all those who violate party discipline. Mr. Shivakumar and AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting in Delhi on Sunday.