Posts of CLP, oppn leader should be held by one person:

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Saturday said in his personal opinion, the post of Congress Legislature Party leader and Leader of Opposition in Karnataka should not be separated, and should be held by one person.

His statement comes amid reports that the Congress high command was weighing on options including appointing a new CLP leader while continuing with Siddaramaiah as opposition leader.

Siddaramaiah, who had till last month held both the posts, resignedas the CLP leader on December 9 after the party's poor performance in the assembly bypolls.

However, his resignation has not yet been accepted.

"In my personal opinion, CLP leader and leader of opposition should be together (with one person)...have they (posts) ever been separate in Karnataka?" Siddaramaiah told reporters here in response to a question.

 

When it was pointed out that there has been such precedence in the Congress Maharashtraunit with both posts separate, he said "Political situation in Maharashtra may be different, the situation here is different, why do you compare with Maharashtra?"

"In my personal opinion, both positions should be together, no split, no separation..," he said.

"When Chief Minister is holding 18 departments with him, the media does not question him about delay in cabinet expansion, but questions us about filling vacant party posts," Siddaramaiah remarked.

According to sources, Siddaramaiah is wary over separating the two posts, reducing his clout in the party, and hence his confidants want their leader to continue as both CLP and opposition leader.

However, responding to a question on appointments to post of CLP and opposition leader, Siddaramaiah said "since I have resigned from the post, I have not spoken on it.. They (high command) are yet to accept it, I do not know what they will do."

Asked if the high command has asked him to withdraw his resignation during his recent meeting with them, and if he was interested in continuing, Siddaramaiah said "no they did not..why have I resigned? That is all, no discussion on it. It is left for the high command."

Siddaramaiah said the KPCC president post that fell vacant following the resignation will be filled soon by the high command.

"Appointment (of KPCC President) will happen soon, we have given our opinion, and the high command will decide," he said.

Responding to a question on reports that he has put forward the idea of four KPCC working presidents to the high command, he said "I have said there should be working president, but did not say how many should be there."

Dinesh Gundu Rao too had quit as KPCC chief after the party posted a poor show in the bypolls, and his resignation has also not been accepted by the high command.

Senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar is seen as the front runner for the KPCC chief post, but according to sources Siddaramaiah is said to have pitched for his confidant and senior leader M BPatilfor the post, and had recently met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in this regard.