DK Shivakumar has been named as the chief of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. (Photo:PTI)

The Congress has appointed senior leader DK Shivakumar as the new chief of the Karnataka unit of the party.

The decision to name former minister DK Shivakumar as the chief of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) was announced by the party high command in a press release on Wednesday.

All India Congress Committee also appointed Eshwar Khandre, Satish Jarkiholi and Saleem Ahmed as working presidents of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee.

Siddaramaiah will, meanwhile, continue as the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly and leader of the Congress Legislature Party, the release said.

After resigning from the post of CLP leader and taking responsibility for the loss in the bypoll, Senior Karnataka Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao had tendered resignation from the KPCC president post.

Batting in favour of former minister MB Patil, who belongs to the Lingayath community, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had last month apprised the Congress top brass including Sonia Gandhi, senior leader AK Antony and Ahmed Patel about the need of a 'Lingayath' state chief to tackle BJP in north Karnataka.

Siddaramaiah had even met Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi at her residence in New Delhi on Tuesday. "We need a Lingayath president in Karnataka to lead the party and to tackle BJP in north Karnataka," Siddaramaiah had said.

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