Cong likely to go it alone in Karnataka

Apparently seeking to encash on the troubles in the BJP in Karnataka, Congress today gave signals of going it alone, ruling out an alliance with the H D Deve Gowda's JD-S in the state where assembly polls are due soon.
Despite chief ministerial aspirants galore in Karnataka, the AICC would neither project any candidate in the assembly polls nor has it plans to field any MP in the polls, highly- placed party sources said.
The statement is significant given the fact that several senior leaders and union ministers from the state are desirous of becoming the next chief minister amid talk that the party's stock has risen in the southern state following troubles in the ruling BJP.

The former chief ministers from the state who are currently MPs or Union ministers include S M Krishna, Dharam Singh and M Veerappa Moily.
Krishna has recently been made a special invitee to the Congress working committee. Union minister Mallikarjun Kharge is a former Karnataka PCC chief who had been a minister in the state for several years.
A section of the party has been advocating an alliance with H D Deve Gowda's party as it wants to avoid division of secular votes.

While G Parameswar is the PCC chief, former deputy chief minister Siddharamaiah, a friend-turned foe of Deve Gowda, is the CLP leader.

Seeking to woo the influential Lingayat community ahead of Karnataka Assembly elections, Congress has recently made Veerana A Mathikatti, a prominent Lingayat leader from north Karnataka as head of the party's Campaign Committee.
Former minister D K Shivakumar, a close associate of senior leader S M Krishna, has been made co-chairman of the committee.