Karnataka polls keep Congress big guns waiting

​Hyderabad: The Congress leaders’ wait for getting posts in the Central and State executive committees (AICC and PCC) is becoming longer, and they fear that their appointments may not be completed till May end. 

The announcement of schedule for Karnataka Assembly polls has poured cold water on their hopes as it would delay the appointment of committees till May. Party leaders expected that the appointments would be completed by end of March or in the first week of April. 

A senior leader of the party said with the pressure of Karnataka elections, party president Rahul Gandhi may not take a decision on the committees till the end of electoral exercise. The electoral process of Karnataka would end in May last week and the Congress president would get some time to look into party affairs only after that. The leader said the high command has decided on the names of leaders for various posts of AICC and PCC executives, and final touches were required for the official announcement. 

Several leaders of the party expected that AICC and PCC executive committees would be announced in last week of March or in the first week of April as the plenary of the party was held in March second week, which was supposed to finalise the executive committees. 

No decision on the appointment of executive committees has been taken in the plenary, and Rahul Gandhi was entrusted with appointing the Working Committee, AICC national and PCC executives. The term of the Pradesh Congress’ executive committee has ended last year. Rahul Gandhi, after becoming president of Indian National Congress, has extended PCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy’s tenure.

Many senior leaders of the party have pinned hopes on the posts in the Working Committee, AICC and PCC. They are of the view that a post in committees would give recognition to their seniority and would encourage to work more for the party. 

Senior leaders of the party like S Jaipal Reddy, Ponnala Laxmaiah have been expecting place in the working committee. Other leaders like G Chinna Reddy, P Sudhakar Reddy, Vijayashanti and V Hanumantha Rao, have been hoping to get secretary posts in the AICC. 

Some leaders, along with those who recently entered the party, have been seeking posts in the Pradesh Congress executive.