Veteran Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge was on Wednesday unanimously elected the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP).
BANGALORE: Veteran Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge was on Wednesday unanimously elected the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP).
Kharge's election came after a day-long opinion eliciting exercise among the 80 newly-elected MLAs and consultations with Congress President Sonia Gandhi, AICC General Secretary Prithviraj Chavan told reporters here.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, one of the strong contenders for the post, proposed Kharge's name and another former minister D K Shivakumar, who was also in the race, seconded, he said.
In tune with the party's norm of one-man-one-post, Kharge yesterday submitted resignation from the KPCC presidentship, which has already been accepted, Chavan said, implying that the Dalit leader, who unsuccessfully led the party in the just-concluded assembly election, had emerged as the front runner for CLP leader's job.
AICC General Secretaries Digvijay Singh and Chavan presided over the CLP meeting.
At the CLP, a majority of the legislators favoured leaving the issue to the party high command, Chavan said adding that in the process of consultations the Congress President, on being apprised, approved Kharge's selection.
A separate meeting would be called to discuss the causes that led to the party's debacle in the polls, Chavan said.
"Today's meeting is not for introspection of the poll defeat", he added.
Kharge has been asked to continue as the President of the KPCC till alternative arrangements were made, he said.
Siddaramaiah was conspicous by absence at the press conference where the party announced the election of Kharge as CLP leader.
Chavan side stepped a query about the absence of Siddaramaiah remarking "he proposed the name of Kharge".
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}