The Hindu : Karnataka News : AICC observer defends ticket to Nagamarapalli

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Karnataka

Karnataka

AICC observer defends ticket to Nagamarapalli

Staff Correspondent

BIDAR: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer for Bidar and Gulbarga districts Keshav Rao said that giving the party ticket to the former Minister Gurupadappa Nagamarapalli to contest from Bidar Assembly seat was part of a great “strategy”.

Mr. Keshav Rao said that the Congress was committed to the interests of minorities and a minority aspirant Samad Siddique, a notary was issued the ticket from Bidar South seat. The party would stand by the minorities.

Without a minority candidate, there could not be a Congress list, he told The Hindu.

He said: “Somehow Mr. Nagamarapalli had to be adjusted and as a strategy we thought of fielding him from Bidar seat.” He ruled out “any pressure on the party in issuing party ticket to Mr. Nagamarapalli and no blackmailing,” since Mr. Nagamarapalli had resigned expressing displeasure that he would not be given ticket to contest from Bidar seat.

“He had to be adjusted, since he is a four-time MLA from Aurad and Aurad seat became reserved constituency after delimitation,” he said.

Apart from Mr. Nagamarapalli, district unit general secretary Raheem Khan and State convenor of Minority wing Manan Sait were aspirants from Bidar seat.

Taking a dig at Mr. Raheem Khan for contesting as Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) candidate from Bidar, Mr. Keshav Rao said: “Let him contest and it shows that he was not for the party but for self.”

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