Race for Karnataka Congress president post: It is more than mere caste politics

The Karnataka Congress in-charge K C Venugopal arrived in Bengaluru for the first time after taking charge. His first task is to find the next president of the Karnataka Congress. With the likes of D K Shivakumar, S R Patil, M B Patil and current President Dr G Parameshwar in the race for the post the task is herculean. Especially when what the workers want and what the senior leaders want are polar opposites.

Congress' Vokkaliga, Lingayat, AHINDA dilemma

Caste politics is at play within the Congress with workers and office bearers from different castes rooting for leaders from their community. With assembly elections just a year away the party is looking for a leader who will be able to consolidate a solid vote bank. While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will lead the campaign the Congress is assured of the AHINDA votes, their traditional vote bank. The fight now is to capture votes that are not traditionally of the Congress. The party hopes to find a foothold in regions identified as BJP and JD(S) bastions. While D K Shivakumar is the front-runner for the post, names of S R Patil, M B Patil is in the fray.

Workers' favourite, eyesore for senior leaders

Emerging as a strong contender for the party president post is Vokkaliga leader D K Shivakumar. Post S M Krishna's exit from the Congress, he is the only prominent Vokkaliga leader in the party and the that is a vote base that the Congress does not want to lose. While dozens of office bearers from and outside his community batting for him, he continues to be an eyesore for the senior leaders. Senior leaders believe that D K Shivakumar being the mass leader he is will create a dual power centre. Moreover, he is from the Cauvery belt where the Chief Minister also hails from. Having two leaders from the same region may disappoint workers from places like north Karnataka is another argument by those opposing him.

The Lingayat strongman

S R Patil is understood to be the Chief Minister's candidate for the party president's post. A Lingayat strongman with a vote base in north Karnataka, the Congress hopes to woo Lingayat voters by elevating him. With AHINDA votes by their side, the Congress now hopes to woo voters from other communities and Lingayat is on par with the Vokkaliga votes when it comes to being a deciding factor. A senior leader of the Congress, S R Patil was being pushed by Siddaramaiah himself, however, the scenario has changed post the Gundlupet and Nanjangud bypoll results.

The new favourite after Gundlupet, Nanjangud bypoll

His management of the party ahead of and during the Gundlupet and Nanjangud assembly bypoll has made water resources minister M B Patil the new hot favourite. Making him in charge of the campaigning for a drought-hit region was a masterstroke by the Congress. The water resources minister of Karnataka did what was expected of him. Assure people access to water and win votes resulting is a massive victory for the Congress. His success has helped him project himself as a suitable candidate for the Karnataka Congress President's post. And then there is the Lingayat strongman factor to add to it.

Fight to retain position

The current President of the Karnataka Congress is also in the race to defend his position. While he has been leading the Congress for continuous terms now, Parameshwar is the face of Congress' 'inclusive' politics. Losing him is not an option for the party. Ousting him from the party president's post means pacifying him with a greater position if the party wins the 2018 assembly polls. Dr G Parameshwar received K C Venugopal on Monday and is expected to accompany him for all programs. With hectic lobbying underway, the new in-charge general secretary has quite a tough task.

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