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Ambareesh for Srirangapatna?

S. Rajendran

Unrest over selection of candidates as Congress opts for review of list

M.H. Ambareesh

BANGALORE: The Congress in the State is facing unrest among its rank and file in nearly 10 of the 89 constituencies going to the polls in the first phase on May 10. The unprecedented demand for party ticket is now having its toll with some workers threatening to walk out of the party while most other ticket aspirants, although disappointed, have taken the denial of ticket in their stride.

Within a day after the announcement of the first list of its candidates, the Congress High Command on Sunday opted for a review of the candidates selected for some of the constituencies. This exercise is stated to have been taken up to convey to the disappointed ticket aspirants that their request is still under consideration and that they should not be hasty in leaving the party at this stage.

A Congress leader, who was upset with the seat selection process was Union Minister M.H. Ambareesh, who enjoys a considerable clout in the old Mysore region which occupies the centre-stage in the first phase of elections.

Following the review, Mr. Ambareesh is said to have been given the Srirangapatna Assembly seat in place of Ravindra Srikantaiah whose name figured in the list announced on Saturday. Sources in the Congress told The Hindu that after a review meeting, chairman of the Central Screening Committee Digvijay Singh had sent across certain recommendations to All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi. The recommendations largely pertained to five constituencies: Turuvekere, Jayanagar, Hebbal, Sarvagnanagar and Dasarahalli.

The Congress workers are also unhappy that the former Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, has not been given ticket although it was pointed out that Mr. Krishna had not clearly indicated that he was keen on contesting the elections.

The party screening committee has completed the exercise of finalising the list of candidates for the constituencies going to the polls in the second and the third phases. With the committee submitting these lists to the AICC president, it is now for the latter to grant approval. However, the Congress leaders said, “Rebellion, if any, will be firmly put down.”

As such the party has not announced candidates for some sensitive constituencies, including Chickpet, Tumkur Rural, Ramanagaram and Chikkanayakanahalli. With the completion of the seat-selection process, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) M. Mallikarjun Kharge and former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh who had participated in the high-level exercise are scheduled to return to Bangalore on Monday.

While demonstrations were staged by several ticket aspirants and their followers in some of the constituencies here, the sources said that the supporters of the former Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, reportedly heckled the party senior leader and close associate of the KPCC president, K.C. Kondaiah, at a posh hotel in New Delhi where the two of them are staying. The timely arrival of Mr. Mallikarjun Kharge prevented an ugly incident and the latter pacified the party workers who had levelled charges against Mr. Kondaiah. The Siddaramaiah camp has been demanding ticket in a Bangalore constituency for the former Minister, H.M. Revanna.

With reference to reports of the alleged corruption in issuing ticket, it was mentioned that the Congress High Command has taken serious note of the matter. Congress workers have been accusing several State and Central party leaders of having received hefty sums in lieu of ticket.

If charges and counter-charges have been levelled against the party leaders connected with the seat-selection process, several party activists whose names did not figure in the list have reportedly initiated discussions with the leaders of the BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular). Among them is the former chairman of the Bangalore Development Authority, L.R. Shivarame Gowda, who after walking out of the erstwhile Janata Dal lost the Assembly elections from Nagamangala in Mandya district. Cine star Jaggesh, who was denied ticket for Turuvekere, has reportedly quit the party, although there was no confirmation.

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