Congress sets up cell to face the revolt in poll-bound Karnataka

Team Udayavani, Apr 17, 2018, 9:54 AM IST

Bengaluru: Congress on Monday has set up a unique cell to subdue the revolt fermenting in the party from twelve sitting legislators and scores of applicants whose names did not appear in the 218 candidates announced to challenge the upcoming elections. 

Addressing the media party’s state Vice President K.E. Radhakrishna said “We have set up cell headed by state unit President G. Parameshwara to assuage the individuals and applicants who couldn’t be chosen to challenge in the elections for numerous reasons,” 

Conceding that the party was confronting resistance in no less than six constituencies from sitting legislators and ticket applicants, he said the cell would soon meet them and clarify why they couldn’t be chosen to challenge in the elections this time. 

“When we settle names for the rest of the 5-6 constituency in the following 2-3 days, we will call each one of the individuals who couldn’t make it to the list as there have been numerous applicants for each constituency,” Radhakrishna said. 

As per reports from areas, several Congress party workers organized furious protests at the party workplaces for denying ticket to their separate leaders at Chikkamagluru, Badami, Bagalkot, Ballari, Mandya, Kolar and Chikkaballapur. 

The disappointed party units additionally promised to battle against the chose applicants if their leaders were overlooked and denied chance to challenge in the elections. 

“Of the 122 sitting legislators, 12 couldn’t be re-nominated for medical reasons, old age and because of prospects of winning being not all that bright according to our surveys,” said Radhakrishna. 

The party has chosen not to handle its applicant in the Melukote in Mandya region in help of Swaraj India candidate Darshan Puttannaiah, son of the state’s rancher leader, late K.S. Puttananaiah, who was an individual from the friendly state party, speaking to the Karnataka Sarvodaya Paksha, which converged with Swaraj India in March 2017. 

The party has fielded 42 Lingayats, 39 Vokkaligas, 52 Other Backward Classes, 35 Scheduled Castes, 17 Scheduled Tribes for the reserved constituency, 15 Muslims, 7 Brahmins, 6 Reddy Lingayts and two each from Jain and Christian community. 

Other than Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yatheendra to challenge from Varuna in Mysuru, the party has offered ticket to Law Minister T. B. Jayachandra’s son Santosh in Chikkanayakanahalli and Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy’s daughter Sowmya from Jayanagar in south Bengaluru.