Surjewala rules out Shivakumar displacement

NT Correspondent

Belagavi: All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday dismissed any plans to a change in the Karnataka Congress Chief’s post. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar currently occupies the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president’s post. Some of Cabinet colleagues have been pushing for a new Karnataka Congress Chief because Shivakumar is the Deputy CM and wouldn’t be able to handle both responsibilities adequately. “I just told you that the KPCC president is on his way. If there was a plan to replace him, why would he come down?” Surjewala told mediapersons at the Sambra airport just outside Belagavi on Friday.

Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi had on Wednesday remarked that the Congress high command had planned on replacing Shivakumar as the KPCC president after the Lok Sabha elections concluded in June last year and should follow up on the promise. On Thursday, Home Minister G Parameshwara agreed that one should not hold two posts at the same time.

Surjewala’s comments come as a backing of Shivakumar in his bid to remain KPCC president. Shivakumar is eying the CM’s post after Siddaramaiah finishes two-and-a-half years in office in November this year. Shivakumar is said to want to remain the Karnataka Congress Chief until he can assume the office of the CM. A Siddaramaiah loyalist like Satish Jarkiholi is trying to replace him.