The Hindu : Karnataka News : Congress list leaves Mandya leaders fuming

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 22, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka

Congress list leaves Mandya leaders fuming

Shankar Bennur

BJP sends emissary to lure disgruntled aspirants

Ambareesh to be fielded from Srirangapatna
Absence of Krishna’s name disappoints many

MANDYA: The unrest among Congress workers in Mandya district over the selection of candidates for the coming elections is yet to die down although the party has reportedly decided to field film star-turned-politician M.H. Ambareesh from Srirangapatna in place of Ravindra Srikantaiah.

Mandya District Congress Committee president K.B. Chandrashekar confirmed that Mr. Ambareesh is the official party candidate from Srirangapatna. Mr. Chandrashekar, who is contesting against the former Speaker Krishna from Krishnarajapet, said Mr. Ambareesh would file his nomination papers either on Tuesday or Wednesday.

‘No confusion’

“There is no confusion in the party over Mr. Ambareesh contesting. His contest is beyond doubt,” he said.

Mandya was a stronghold of the Congress until the Janata Dal (Secular) defeated the party in seven of the nine constituencies in the district in 2004. The decision of the former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna to contest from Chamarajpet in Bangalore, deserting Maddur, is cited as the main reason for the party’s poor performance in 2004.

Although Mr. Krishna has not made his election plans clear, party workers were confident that he would contest from Maddur this time.

However, they were disappointed on finding that Mr. Krishna’s name did not figure in the first list of candidates. D.C. Thammanna is the party’s candidate for Maddur constituency.

“Despite the discontentment among ticket aspirants and party workers over the selection of candidates, the Congress can do well in the elections only if Mr. Krishna and Mr. Ambareesh contest from Mandya district. It will help overcome the disappointment in the party,” said a senior party leader.

It is still a mystery as why the party did not include Mr. Ambareesh in the first list released on Saturday. Mr. Ambareesh, who quit the Lok Sabha and the United Progressive Alliance Ministry over the Cauvery verdict, is an influential Vokkaliga leader with considerable support in the district.

“In fact, the party wanted to wrest the seats from the JD(S) in the coming elections. Therefore, we wanted Mr. Krishna to contest the elections, but the list has surprised us,” the leader said.

Also, the party has not nominated those who are believed to be staunch followers of Mr. Krishna.

BJP sends feelers

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which is making efforts to establish a base in Mandya, sent the former Minister G.T. Deve Gowda to Mandya on Sunday to invite disappointed Congress ticket aspirants — M.S. Atmananda (Mandya), Madhu Made Gowda (Maddur), L.R. Shivarame Gowda (Nagamangala), Kempe Gowda and Prakash (Pandavapura) and Narendraswamy (Malavalli) — to join the party.

However, they are waiting for the party to reconsider its choice of candidates for the constituencies. The local party leaders have asked them not to take any hasty decision.

Mr. Atmananda told The Hindu that he was yet to take a decision. “The former MP G. Made Gowda and the upset ticket aspirants are meeting to decide on the next step. I am not sure whether the party will reconsider its decision,” he said.

He, however, refused to confirm or deny whether BJP leaders had approached them to join the party.

Sources in the BJP said the party was looking for suitable candidates in Mandya and Hassan. “The party has offered ticket to the upset Congress ticket aspirants in Mandya,” sources said.

Sources in the Congress said Mr. Thammanna might be asked to contest from Mandya, and H.B. Ramu, party candidate from Mandya, might be asked to withdraw to make way for Mr. Krishna to contest from Maddur.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka

News Update

Stories in this Section