Yediyurappa allows Shivakumar to take charge as KPCC chief

"Yediyurappa spoke to Shivakumar on Wednesday and conveyed that the state government had no objection to him taking over as the party's state unit president at a public function but it should be as per the guidelines," Congress official M.A. Saleem told IANS here.

The Chief Minister's permission came after a state revenue official denied permission to Shivakumar on Tuesday, as gathering of more than 50 people was not allowed due to the extended lockdown norms till June 30.

"As Shivakumar cancelled the function scheduled on June 14 after permission was denied, a new date will be set after Amavasya on June 21. Most probably, he will take charge on June 28, which is a Sunday," Saleem hinted.

The Chief Minister told reporters here the state government had no objection to Shivakumar holding party activities, as political parties have the right to do so.

"I told him (Shivakumar) on phone that he can organise his programme as per the guidelines, which restricts gathering of more than 50 people in public," Yediyuyrappa said.

Shivakumar on June 5 wrote to Yediyurappa, seeking permission to formally take charge of the post on June14 at the party's office in the city centre in the presence of 150 people, including the party's state leaders and cadres, with the event streamed live to party workers at 7,800 locations across the state.

Thanking Yediyurappa for permitting him to hold the function, Shivakumar said he would fix it on another day after consulting party leaders and workers.

"The event will be organised as per the guidelines. I will announce a new date soon," Shivakumar told reporters here.

Though party's interim president Sonia Gandhi appointed Shivakumar, 58, on March 11 as the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, he could not take charge since then, as lockdown was enforced on March 25 and extended till June 30, with partial relaxation of curbs on some activities.

Shivakumar had cancelled the programme scheduled on May 31 and on June 7, as the central government on May 30 extended the lockdown till June 30.

Shivakumar's appointment came three months after Dinesh Gunde Rao resigned on December 9 following the party's debacle in the state assembly by-elections on December 5, in which it only 2 out of the 15, while the ruling BJP won 12 and one by an independent, with the support of the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S).

Shivakumar is a senior legislator from the Kanakapura assembly segment, about 60km south of Bengaluru in the southern state.

Shivakumar's brother D.K. Suresh is the party's Lok Sabha member from the Bangalure Rural constituency for the second time. He was the party's only candidate to have retained the seat, while 20 others lost in the May 2019 general elections./Eom/490 words.