Siddaramaiah urges AICC to name new Lingayat PPC president to neutralise Yeddyurappa effect

NEW DELHI: BJP’s choice of state chiefs will influence Congress’ discussions on party chief for the respective states. With BJP central leadership opting for its tallest Lingayat leader, BS Yeddyurappa, to lead the party in the 2018 assembly polls in Karnataka, Congress chief minister Siddaramaiah has urged the AICC to name a new PCC president from the same community to neutralise the ‘Yeddyurappa effect.’

Similarly, BJP’s appointment of Kesav Prasad Maurya, who belongs to an OBC community, as UP party chief has revived the Congress debate on replacing PCC chief Nirmal Khatri with an OBC leader. According to a party insider, the Karnataka chief minister has submitted to the AICC a list of three leaders from Lingayat community — SR Patil, Nada Gowda and Eshwar Khandre — as PCC chief. Yeddyurappa’s split from the BJP had helped the Congress win the 2013 polls easily. The CM’s recommendation comes even as some other Karnataka Congress leaders have been pressing for a Dalit PCC chief, saying outgoing state president Paremeswara, who is now home minister, is a Dalit.

The name of AICC general secretary BK Hariprasad is also under consideration. In UP, while a section favours Khatri, based on his “commitment and clean image,” others argue he lacks a caste base than can rally a social alignment for Congress. They argue the UPCC president should be from a prominent, non-Yadav caste.

The names of Beni Prasad Verma from the Kurmi community, RPN Singh, Sanjay Singh (Rajput) and Jitin Prasada (Brahmin) have been doing the rounds.

With Bihar PCC chief Ashok Choudhary a minister, AICC’s discussions with state leaders for a new PCC chief have seen former Union minister Akhilesh Prasad Singh of the Bhumihar community and senior leader Ashok Ram, a Dalit, emerging as top contenders.

In faction-ridden Madhya Pradesh Congress, various local leaders and MLAs are lobbying for a consensus around senior leader Kamal Nath as new PCC chief in place of incumbent Arun Yadav.