The Hindu : Karnataka News : Congress facing rebellion in four constituencies in Chitradurga

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Karnataka

Congress facing rebellion in four constituencies in Chitradurga

Firoz Rozindar

Dissidence is palpable in Hiriyur, Holalkere, Challakere

Chitradurga: After the announcement of candidates for the Assembly elections, the Chitradurga district Congress unit is now facing rebellion among its ranks after several aspirants were denied ticket.

The Congress, on Tuesday, announced candidates for all the six constituencies in the district. Of the six, there is no dispute in Molakalmur and Hosadurga constituencies as ticket have been issued to the former MLAs, N.Y. Gopalkrishna and B.G. Govindappa, respectively.

However, dissidence is palpable in Chitradurga, Hiriyur, Holalkere and Challakere taluks. In these places, the party has given ticket to the former MLA, G.H. Tippareddy, the zilla panchayat president, Geeta Nandini Gowda, the Youth Congress president, B. Tippeswamy, and film actor Shashikumar Nayak, respectively.

In Chitradurga, Congress leader M.K. Tajpeer, who was the aspirant, has warned that he will campaign against the party if it failed to give ticket to minorities.

There was competition in Hiriyur constituency as several senior leaders of the party, including the former Holalkere MLA, A.V. Umapati, the former Challakere MLA, D. Sudhakar, the former Minister, Kodandaramaiah, and the Congress district president, R. Manjunath, were in the race.

But after the announcement of the party ticket to Ms. Gowda, Mr. Sudhakar, Mr. Umapati and Mr. Manjunath are now in a dejected mood. Expressing their ire, several supporters of Mr. Manjunath ransacked the party office on Wednesday.

On the same day, the supporters of Mr. Sudhakar burnt tyres and threw stones at a government bus in Challakre.

On Thursday, the supporters of Mr. Umapati staged a protest in Holalkere.

Though Mr. Sudhakar has not announced his future course of action, sources close to him said that he may chose to contest as an independent if the party failed to reconsider its decision.

It is interesting to note that Mr. Sudhakar is seeking ticket from Hiriyur (general), as his Challakere constituency has been reserved for Scheduled Tribes.

Mr. Sudhakar is also unhappy with the Congress because the High Command has not considered his choice of candidate in Challakere.

Similar is the case with Mr. Umapati. He too has lost his Holalkere constituency after the delimitation exercise as it has been reserved for Scheduled Castes.

Another former MLA, H. Anjaneya, who has joined the Congress along with the former Deputy Chief Minister, M.P. Prakash, is upset after the denial of ticket to him. Mr. Anjaneya, who lost his Bharamasagar constituency in the delimitation process, was planning to contest from Holalkere (Scheduled Castes).

All the aspirants, by exerting pressure on the Congress High Command, are learnt to have adopted a “wait and watch” policy before announcing their next move.

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