Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Oct 9: R V Deshpande, who took over charge as the president of Karnataka Pradesh congress Committee on October 6, met AICC president Sonia Gandhi and held detailed discussions with her on organizational matters.

Deshpande, in his first meeting with the high command after assuming charge of the state unit of the party, is also learnt to have discussed the current political situation in the state. Sources say, that he also apprised the central leaders about the resentment of veteran party leader and MP R L Jalappa on striking an alliance with the JDS(S) for the bypoll. The high command asked Deshpande to make all preparations to fully gear the state machinery the party, in a bid to face the by election for the eight assembly constituencies with full power.

It is learnt, that the central leaders asked him to forward a list of ticket aspirants to them soon.

State working president D K Shivkumar had met the national leaders before taking charge of the post. It is gathered, that Deshpande also sought clarifications on the functions of the president and the working president of the state unit, as the post of the working president of KPCC has been created for the first time.

He had gone to Delhi on being summoned by the party high command, and met Sonia Gandhi, party affairs state-in-charge Prathviraj Chauhan and political secretary of the AICC president, Ahmed Patel on the morning of Wednesday, October 8.