The principle of one man, one post seems to be gaining currency in Karnataka Congress, with the party high command planning to extend it to the States.
Congress sources said the State is expected to follow the model adopted by the party at the national level. This, the Central leaders believe, will result in responsibilities being shared among senior leaders of the party. The Congress has implemented the principle in Maharashtra by appointing different legislators to the posts of Leader of the Opposition and Leader of Congress Legislature Party (CLP).
In Karnataka, the CLP leader post is now held by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Mr. Siddaramaiah, who is keen to become Leader of the Opposition, is expected to get the post. He was both CLP leader and Leader of the Opposition in 2009-13, during the BJP regime. Therefore, a senior MLA is expected to be appointed as CLP leader in his place. Former Ministers H.K. Patil and G. Parameshwara are believed to be eyeing the post, sources said.
At the national level, the party’s interim president Sonia Gandhi is leader of the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), both during the previous Modi regime as well as now. Party veteran M. Mallikarjun Kharge was Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha during the first term of the Modi government, while Adhir Chowdhury is Leader of the Congress in the Lower House now.
At the national level, the party has spilt responsibilities to enable leaders to devote more time to their posts. Being CPP leader, Ms. Gandhi has been giving more time to the party by meeting leaders and hearing grievances from different States, sources said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Parameshwara met Ms. Gandhi at the national capital on Tuesday. He also met former Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who is now in Enforcement Directorate custody.
