Karnataka elections: Long wait for Congress list triggers speculation

BENGALURU: Although the All India Congress Committee (AICC) had assured the release of its list of candidates by 3 pm on Sunday, the long delay in doing so even after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, AICC general secretary in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka K C Venugopal and KPCC President G Parameshwara left for Bengaluru, triggered speculations on a rift within Congress over the list.

Protests erupted in many places led by ticket aspirants who were tipped to have missed the ticket, and the party leadership was worried about the fallout of the list’s release.

However, it was later learnt that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC President G Parameshwara had requested the party high command not to release the list till they reached Bengaluru and spoke to some of the disgruntled ticket aspirants to pacify them.