External affairs minister S.M. Krishna may give up his high profile portfolio during the cabinet reshuffle sometime in mid-September and may be drafted for party work in Karnataka. If the buzz in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is to be believed, Mr Krishna may head a committee to co-ordinate the party campaign during the Assembly elections in Karnataka due next year. Sources clarified that he would not replace KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar. Instead, he would be made head of the campaign committee or will chair a new committee to be set up to co-ordinate poll work.
Mr Krishna who was KPCC president in 1999, had led the Congress to a thumping victory in the Assembly elections held that year. Senior Congress leaders reportedly feel that by virtue of his seniority, Mr Krishna might be able to command the respect of leaders across caste lines. "This might help the party get the support of the majority Lingayat and other communities who have drifted away from the party in recent years," sources said. Mr Krishna’s return to state might coincide with a ‘Panchajanya-II’ tour planned by the state unit across the state. The first Panchajanya (five leaders) yatra he led in 1999, resulted in a landslide victory for the Congress, enabling him to form the government.
Not everyone in the state Congress is sure Mr Krishna will be able to repeat his magic again. "After he left Karnataka to take up important assignments like that of Maharashtra governor and external affairs minister, he has not been able to maintain an active rapport with the masses. He will also face a formidable opponent in former chief minister and JD(S) state president H.D. Kumaraswamy in the Cauvery basin," sources said.