The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Krishna to begin Statewide campaign tour on Tuesday

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Krishna to begin Statewide campaign tour on Tuesday

Special Correspondent

Says Sonia Gandhi will take a decision on Jaffer Sharief’s resignation

— Photo: K. Gopinathan

Party switch: The former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna (left) welcoming Janata Dal (Secular) general secretary K.N. Chakrapani into the Congress in Bangalore on Saturday.

Bangalore: The chairman of the Congress Election Management and Coordination Committee, S.M. Krishna, on Saturday said Congress president Sonia Gandhi would take a decision on the reported resignation of the former Railway Minister C.K. Jaffer Sharief.

Mr. Krishna told reporters here that Mr. Sharief had gone to New Delhi to meet Ms. Gandhi. Since 1972, he had been a member of the party’s election committee and had witnessed rebellions, but the party had withstood them. “The Jaffer Sharief issue will also be sorted out,” he said.

‘No revolt’

Asked about the revolt by ticket aspirants in Mandya district, Mr. Krishna said that L.R. Shivarame Gowda, who had filed nomination papers as a rebel candidate, withdrew it, and he would be campaigning for the official candidate in Nagamangala.

Asked whether the denial of ticket to him and his supporters in the district was an indication that he was being gradually sidelined, Mr. Krishna said he enjoyed full support of the party.

The former Governor of Maharashtra said that he had friends and supporters in all the 224 constituencies and did not agree that he headed a group within the State unit of the party.

Manifesto

Asked for his comments on the delay in the party coming out with a manifesto when the Bharatiya Janata Party had already released its manifesto, he said that the Congress had already taken the lead by announcing a six-point manifesto. The former Chief Minister brushed aside the allegation made by some women party workers before senior leaders on Thursday that money had changed hands in the selection of candidates.

“Importance should not be given to such loosely hurled allegations,” he said.

Mr. Krishna said that he had been asked by Ms. Gandhi to tour all the 224 Assembly constituencies. The tour would begin on April 29.

Joins party

Earlier, he admitted K.N. Chakrapani, who was the general secretary of the Janata Dal (Secular), into the party.

Mr. Chakrapani said he would withdraw his nomination from Byatarayanapura constituency as an independent candidate in favour of Krishna Byregowda, president of the Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee, who is the official candidate of the Congress in the constituency.

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