Karnataka is the next big test for Congress but party must tackle anti-incumbency, rejig state leadership

Even before the debacle in the Assembly elections stared the Congress in the face, work was on to revamp the party structure in Karnataka, the only big state it has been in power now for some time. The realisation that anti-incumbency against the Siddaramaiah regime is huge and the opposition BJP has its nose ahead in the race, has dawned on the Congress high command.

That it won’t be easy in 2018, is an admission several Congress leaders are willing to make, off the record. On the priority list is to find a new Karnataka Congress president. The incumbent G Parameshwara also holds the Home portfolio in Siddaramaiah’s cabinet and his critics deride him by referring to `PCC’ (President of State Congress committee) as `Press Conference Chief’. Though a Dalit, Parameshwara is not seen as having enough hold over the community and the party is not confident that it will stick by him next year.