No change of guard in KPCC: Mistry

BANGALORE: Predicting an early election to the Karnataka Assembly, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Madhusudan Mistry has ruled out any possibility of change of guard in the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.In an exclusive chat with Express here on Thursday, he said there were no plans to remove Dr G Parameshwar. Mistry termed reports that some sections within the KPCC were demanding the change of guard as “fully fabricated and baseless”.Claiming that the party’s central leaders had appreciated KPCC’s efforts to strengthen the organisation, Mistry said, “The campaign being undertaken by the KPCC to connect with the party workers has been appreciated by the party.”He was referring to ‘Janara Balige Congress Nadige’.On the infighting in the Karnataka BJP, he said early elections would be inevitable, and predicted that the polls would be held along with Gujarat Assembly elections in November.“We have determined to bring all those who have deserted the party for one or the other reason by convincing them,” he said.On the upcoming bypoll to Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency, he said: “The name of the party’s nominee would be announced within a week.”