The Hindu : Karnataka News : Congress workers oppose party candidate

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Wednesday, Apr 23, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Congress workers oppose party candidate

Staff Correspondent

They are against N.T. Bommanna contesting from Kudligi
Many of them want Venkatesh to be fielded instead

KUDLIGI (BELLARY DISRICT): Around 5,000 Congress party workers held a meeting on Tuesday and opposed the candidature of the former MLA N.T. Bommanna, for elections to the Kudligi Assembly constituency.

They blamed senior party leader and MLC K.C. Kondaiah for recommending Mr. Bommanna’s name knowing well that party activists did not approve of him. Mr. Bommanna represented Kudligi for two consecutive terms in 1985 and 1989 as a Congress candidate.

Party hopping

After being defeated in the 1994 elections, he hopped from one party to another and antagonised party workers. He has now returned to the Congress and is likely to be chosen to contest from Kudligi.

Effigy burnt

In disapproval, party workers burnt the effigy of Mr. Kondaiah on Tuesday. Kudligi constituency has been reserved for Scheduled Tribes. Mr. Bommanna belongs to the Valmiki community.

The followers of the former Minister and senior Congress leader Bhagirathi Marulasiddanagouda, had chosen to support Venkatesh, who, according to them was an able candidate.

The meeting, attended by several leaders from Gudekote “firka,” Hosahalli “firka” (which were part of the erstwhile Kottur Assembly constituency prior to the delimitation exercise) and Kudligi “firka,” including Gundmunugu Thippeswamy, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) member, Cinema Siddanagouda, Venkanna, Rajendra Prasad, Basheer Sab and Gudekote Rajanna, decided not to vote in favour of the Congress if the party fielded Mr. Bommanna.

They suspected that large amounts of money had changed hands for enabling Mr. Bommanna to be chosen, and felt that Mr. Kondaiah was instrumental in the exercise.

Resignation

Mr. Thippeswamy said he would resign from the KPCC if the party did not field Mr. Venkatesh.

The party workers however, decided to defer the decision on whether to field Mr. Venkatesh as a rebel candidate, as a few more leaders had to be consulted in this regard.

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