MYSURU: Ahead of the electoral battle in Nanjangud, chinks have come to fore in the Congress-in-Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s home turf. District Minister H C Mahadevappa stayed away from the inauguration of a maternity and children hospital at Nanjangud town on Saturday raising several eyebrows.
Mahadevappa’s absence from the event could send confusing signals to the party’s rank and file.
A byelection in the Nanjangud assembly constituency is necessitated after the resignation of V Srinivas Prasad, a prominent dalit leader in Mysuru region. The Chief Minister, who has taken it as a prestige issue to win the seat, is leaving no no stone unturned to take on the dalit leader who has embraced BJP.
After Prasad quit Congress, Siddaramaiah has not missed any opportunity to visit Nanjangud. He inaugurated a slew of development works besides announcing several other works to impress upon the voters.
Sources in the Congress attributed Mahadevappa’s absence from the hospital inauguration to the running feud between him and Chamarajanagar MP R Dhruvanarayan over the selection of a candidate for Nanjangud bypoll.
While Mahadevappa, who has carried out one round of campaigning by touring the constituency, is said to be pushing the candidature of his son Sunil Bose, the local MP wants his relative Kalale Keshavamurthy to be the party’s candidate. Keshavamurthy had contested on a JD(S) ticket last time and lost to Prasad. However,
Dhruvanarayan, however, has ruled out any differences with Mahadevappa.
Sources said Mahadevappa did not attend the hospital inauguration despite being present in T Narasipur, his home constituency, which is just half-an-hour’s drive from Nanjangud. He took part in a ‘Krishi Utsav’ organised by Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala and attended by Dharmadhikari Veerendra Heggade. Sources said there were difference of opinion between the two dalit leaders with regard to the date of hospital inauguration.
While Dhruvanarayan wanted the hospital inauguration to take place on Saturday, Mahadevappa wanted to it on January 24 or 25 and get it inaugurated by the Chief Minister. Siddaramaiah will tour Mandya on January 24 and the next day, he will come to Suttur to take part in a jatra celebration.
Sources said the differences could cost the Congress heavily unless the two leaders bury the hatchet immediately. “It is impossible to give a good fight to Prasad and the BJP unless both Dhruvanarayan and Mahadevappa work together. While Dhruvanarayan has image, Mahadevappa has resources,” said a Congress worker.