Karnataka Congress’ top leaders lock horns over youth president’s post

Bengaluru Almost four months after the contentious Youth Congress elections in Karnataka, the issue continues to create frictions in the party’s top leadership in the state, people aware of the developments said, weakening the opposition party’s fight against the ruling BJP

Bengaluru Almost four months after the contentious Youth Congress elections in Karnataka, the issue continues to create frictions in the party’s top leadership in the state, people aware of the developments said, weakening the opposition party’s fight against the ruling BJP.

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State Congress president DK Shivakumar and legislature party leader Siddaramaiah have locked horns over the issue that the people say has threatened to fuel differences between the two top leaders of the party, accentuating factionalism that has been on a rise in the party.

Mohammed Harris Nalapad, the son of Congress legislator NA Harris and backed by Shivakumar, was disqualified even though he won 64,203 out of the over 150,000 valid votes polled, as per the results published in February this year. Raksha Ramaiah, who polled 57,271 votes and has the backing of Siddaramaiah, was declared as the Youth Congress president.

People familiar with the developments said Ramaiah and Nalapad have come to a compromise -- the former will remain the state Youth Congress president till the end of the year and then hand over the reins to the latter.

“Both of them have mutually come to an understanding that Raksha will remain (as Youth Congress chief) till December 31 and then the post will be given to Nalapad,” Srinivas BV, national president of the Indian Youth Congress, said on Wednesday.

But the conflicting stand on the Youth Congress has reignited feud between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, party leaders said, after the two locked horns over the chief ministerial pick if the party wins the next polls. Despite warnings from the state and central party leadership, legislators close to Siddaramaiah had projected him as the next chief minister, souring relations with Shivakumar and a few other leaders who also nurse ambitions for the top job.

“Now, the election officer has said that he will broker a compromise (between Raksha and Mohammed). Make both of them sit together and get whatever compromise is all I have said,” Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday.

Shivakumar refused to comment.

People aware of the developments said the supporters of Raksha are not happy with the decision taken by the incumbent Youth Congress president without consultations with those who helped him get the post.

Congress leaders, wishing not to be named, said that amid the fight between the two top leaders, the party misses an opportunity to take advantage of the leadership crisis in the BS Yediyurappa-led government.