The Vokkaliga community and its legislators have been putting pressure to appoint their community leader, seven-time MLA and former Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who was the KPCC working president during 2008-10.

The Congress high command seems to be taking no chances with Karnataka and is carefully considering candidates from all castes for the appointment of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president’s post. A decision on this has been deferred for nearly two months.

Meanwhile, leaving no stone unturned, seers, leaders and legislators of Karnataka’s two dominant castes — Lingayats and Vokkaligas — are lobbying hard to get the party’s coveted post in the State since the resignation of incumbent KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao, MLA and former Minister, who took the decision after the party’s debacle in the Assembly bypolls.

Since the party’s future prospects in the State largely depends on the Congress president and the stature of the person chosen to fill the post, the central leaders of the party are weighing all options, particularly the caste combination, in the selection.

The Vokkaliga community and its legislators have been putting pressure on the high command to appoint seven-time MLA and former Minister D.K. Shivakumar , who was the working president during 2008-10 when former Minister R.V. Deshpande was the KPCC president.

S.M. Krishna, ex-Chief Minister who is now with the BJP, was the only Vokkaliga to head the State Congress since the 1970s. Mr. Krishna, who was the KPCC president during 1999–2000, campaigned against the then J.H. Patel government and brought the party to power in 1999 and ruled till 2004.

However, former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah has been opposing Mr. Shivakumar’s candidature, believing that a large chunk of Vokkaligas have been rallying behind H.D. Deve Gowda’s Janata Dal (Secular) in the southern part of the State and the party would benefit little from a Vokkaliga leader’s appointment.

On the other hand, four leaders belonging to the other dominant community, Lingayat-Veerashaiva, have also been lobbying to get the post. In a bid to checkmate the rise of Mr. Shivakumar, who is facing IT and ED cases following his alleged role in money laundering cases, Mr. Siddaramaiah has been promoting the candidature of M.B. Patil, former Home Minister and Lingayat leader from north Karnataka. In fact, Mr. Siddaramaiah, who hails from the Old Mysore region, now represents the Badami constituency in north Karnataka. He fought from two seats – Chamundeshwari in his native Mysuru district and Badami – and lost in the former.

However, the “original” Congressmen are opposed to Mr. Siddaramaiah’s nominee on the grouse that the former Chief Minister has the habit of “snubbing dissent” within the organisation. Mr. Siddaramaiah, once with the JD (S), joined the Congress in 2006.

In the last five decades, four Lingayat leaders have become KPCC presidents between 1970-2020. K.H. Patil (twice), Veerendra Patil, V.S. Koujalgi and Allum Veerabhadrappa headed the State Congress at different periods. Mr. Veerabhadrappa was the last Lingayat to head the KPCC during 2001–03.

However, it was former Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, a Dalit leader, who headed the party the longest — eight years — since the days of Devaraj Urs (1970). He was the Congress president from 2010-18. Two elections were held during his tenure and the party came to power both times (2013 and 2018), though in 2018 with coalition partner JD (S). K.H. Ranganath (1985-86), H.K. Rathod (1980-83) and Mallikarjun Kharge (2005-08) are other Dalit leaders who have headed the KPCC.

Three Brahmins — V. Krishna Rao (1992-95), R.V. Deshpande (2008-10) and Dinesh Gundu Rao (since 2018) — have occupied the post. The only Christian to occupy the post was former Union Minister Oscar Fernandes from Udupi.

Former Chief Ministers D. Devaraj Urs, S. Bangarappa, N. Dharam Singh, former Union Minister B. Janardhana Poojary (twice) and D.K. Naikar belonging to OBCs have occupied the post of KPCC chief.

The question now is if the high command would succeed in placating both the dominant communities that seem to be in the race at this juncture. Sources said the State Congress leaders expect some clarity on the matter during the coming session of the State legislature, which will commence on February 17. The party is aware that indefinite postponement of a decision would demoralise the cadre, who are already on a low ebb, sources added.