Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Sep 19: Former Karnataka deputy chief minister Dr G Parameshwar has continued to stay at New Delhi after meeting interim president of his party, Sonia Gandhi. He also skipped the Congress legislature party (CLP) meeting held here, thus sending a strong signal that anti-Siddaramaiah faction in the city is preparing for a showdown.

The CLP meeting was held at the office of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office on Wednesday September 18. Along with Parameshwar, former minister Ramalinga Reddy, Satish Jarkiholi and Shivanand Patil, besides MLAs B Nagendra and Akhanda Srinivasamurthy chose to stay away. The meeting was presided by Siddaramaiah. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee said that a few of the absentees had obtained prior permission for their absence. Siddaramaiah said he believes that Parameshwar was in New Delhi.

A tussle is on within the Congress for the post of the leader of the Congress legislature party. Sensing that the meeting had been called by Siddaramaiah to establish himself as the undisputed leader, Parameshwar took a decision to stay away, it is said. It is learnt that during his meeting with Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday, Parameshwar brought his ideas to her notice.

Parameshwar also met party leaders K C Venugopal and Ghulam Nabi Azad at Delhi on Wednesday. It is said that he also plans to meet Ahmed Pate. It is reported that Parameshwar has complained to the leaders that Siddaramaiah is trying to project that his happens to be the last word in state politics, and because of this attitude, he did not consult party leaders before convening the Congress legislature party meeting. Parameshwar is said to have asked the national leadership to rein in Siddaramaiah.

In addition to the above two leaders, former minister and veteran party leader H K Patil is an aspirant for the post. Patil attended the above meeting but his seemed to be a token presence. Some legislators also appeared to have come more on account of compulsion. The legislators discussed between themselves that the high command has the discretion to choose the leader of the legislature party and hence the meeting is just a formality.

There is speculation that Sonia Gandhi, who reposes faith in Parameshwar, may opt to make him the leader of the legislature party. If not, he will be given a position of eminence in the state Congress, it is said. Anyway, the leader of the opposition has to be appointed before the assembly session begins on October 14. Sources said that the high command will take a firm decision on this issue soon.