K'aka polls: Cong appoints BN Chandrappa as fifth working president

NEW DELHI: With the Karnataka Assembly polls drawing near, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday appointed a fifth working president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee in the form of former Lok Sabha BN Chandrappa.

"Hon'ble Congress President has appointed Shri B.N. Chandrappa as Working President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect," read an official release from the party on Sunday.

While Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar is the KPCC president, the party already has 4 other working presidents in the form of Ramalinga Reddy, Eshwar Khandre, Saleem Ahmed and Satish Jarkiholi. Chandrappa was elected a Lok Sabha member from Chitradurga in 2014-19.

Chandrappa's appointment follows the demise of KPCC working president and former MP R Dhruvanarayana. Dhruvanarayana was a Parliamentarian from the Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency.

He served as a member of the Lower House from 2009 to 2019. Earlier, on April 4, Kharge said the Congress will hold an extensive discussion on the selection of candidates for the remaining 100 Assembly seats in the state.

The Congress, on March 25, announced its first list of 124 candidates for the Assembly polls. The list included former chief minister Siddaramaiah and the party's state president DK Shivakumar.

"There is a meeting of our selection committee in which we will hold discussions on the selection of candidates for the remaining 100 seats. People on the committee will give present their opinions after which a decision will be taken," Kharge said.

Elections in Karnataka are slated to be held in a single phase on May 10 and the counting of votes will be held on May 13. Siddaramaiah will be contesting from the Varuna constituency DK Shivakumar has been fielded in Kanakapura.

Siddaramaiah had expressed his interest to contest from the Kolar constituency but the Congress High Command instructed him to drop the plan following disagreements between the party's local leaders in the constituency.

The party has fielded M Roopakala from the Kolar Gold Field constituency. The ruling BJP currently holds a majority in the Assembly with 119 seats while the Congress and the JD(S) have 75 and 28 seats respectively.

All three key political players in the state -- BJP, Congress and the JD(S) -- have been exchanging barbs as their poll campaign moves through the gears.

The latter are attempting to corner the ruling BJP on the issue of corruption. The model code of conduct is currently in force in the state.