The Congress party has on Sunday released the list of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. According to reports, the party released a list of 218 candidates yesterday after many deliberations and missed deadlines.
The party has renominated 107 of the 122 sitting MLAs for the upcoming polls. According to reports, a full-blown revolt has broken out within the party ranks after the list was announced. Seats for many constituencies including Hangal, Mayakonda, Kittur, Tiptur, Kunigal, Kolar, Kollegal, Belur, Badami and Jagalur witnessed open discontent from party workers.
Big political fight ahead of Karnataka polls: After Congress releases list of candidates, Siddaramaiah faces revolt within, after Brijesh, another neta voices dissent @dpkBopanna shares more details #CongTicketDrama pic.twitter.com/1qgzuQ9df9
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) April 16, 2018
In the Kittur constituency, where there was already reported discontent between supporters of five-time MLA DB Inamdar and his relative Babasaheb Patil, there was further frictions and speculations as the party has not released the name of the candidate yet. According to reports, Inamdar had earlier announced that he would retire from politics and make way for Patil, but he went back on his word and Patil is reportedly favoured by the party High command.
Current MLA from Hangar and former Minister Manohar Tahasildhar’s supporters also staged a protest over their leader being denied a ticket and the Jagalur MLA HP Rajesh has come rushing to Bengaluru after his name too was omitted from the list. Senior leader P Ramesh, who had earlier contested and lost from CV Raman Nagar seat reportedly announced that he will be contesting on a JD(S) ticket. He also criticised Siddaramaiah as ‘Tughlaq’. Many party ticket hopefull have reportedly disliked the party giving tickets to former JD(S) people who have joined the party only recently. They have also called the CM a dictator.
CM Siddaramaiah’s earlier reported wish of contesting from both Chamundeshwari and Badami seats were also put to rest due to objections from senior party leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge and Veerappa Moily. Siddaramaiah will only contest from Chamundeshwari seat.
It appears as though many aspirants have decided to contest elections as independent candidates. The party high command is expected to send senior leaders to each of those constituencies to tackle them.
BJP leader DV Sadananda Gouda has stated that the Congress has a legacy to promote only family members of old candidates and they never promote new faces.
