Shiva Kumar favourite for KPCC president post?

BANGALORE: Ongoing discussions between former minister D K Shiva Kumar, a strong contender and front-runner for the KPCC president post, and Congress leaders in New Delhi including AICC general secretary, Karnataka in-charge Prithviraj Chavan, have fuelled speculation of the high command finalising the incumbent for the post.
The announcement is expected to be made before Congress president Sonia Gandhi leaves for Beijing to attend the Olympics, or after her return.The post fell vacant following Mallikarjun M Kharge's election as the opposition leader in the assembly in June. He has been asked to continue as the president till a replacement is found as the Congress party's constitution stipulates 'oneman , one-post .'
Other aspirants for the post are B L Shankar (Vokkaliga) and R V Deshpande (Brahmin). The delay in taking a decision is said to be due to the high command's perplexity about where and how to accommodate former deputy chief minister Siddaramaiah . According to sources, if the caste equation has to be balanced, the KPCC president should be given to a Vokkaliga (to which community Kumar and Shankar belong).
Cong slams lathicharge
Bangalore: The Congress strongly criticized Monday's police lathicharge on Mangalore residents protesting against the hike in water supply rates. KPCC president Mallikarjun M Kharge and opposition leader in the council V S Ugrappa condemned the incident. Kharge said Congress will organize an agitation. Ugrappa said lathi charges exposed the ruling party's real colours. "BJP believes in crushing dissent," he said.