Karnataka poll: Rift in Congress comes to fore over Madikeri candidature

MADIKERI: The candidature announcement by Congress in the state has caused rift and dissatisfaction within the party. Napanda Muthappa, a ticket aspirant for Madikeri constituency, and state vice president of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) has quit the party and has confirmed his candidature as an independent. Congress has chosen H S Chandramauli as its candidate.

While the announcement of former MLC Arun Machaiah’s name for Virajpet constituency was welcomed by the party workers, HS Chandramouli’s candidature from Madikeri constituency did not go down well with a majority party workers.

The local Congress workers had expected the party to choose either one among KP Chandrakala, Lokesh, Napanda Muthappa and Kumuda Dharmappa. However, H S Chandramuli, who had lost the battlefield in the local bodies election for the MLC post from Kodagu, stepped over these aspirants.

“I will file my nomination as independent candidate from Madikeri on April 20,” said Napanda Muthappa. A known name in the constituency, Muthappa poured out his anguish over the Congress election committee and said: “I was ardently involved in establishing booth committees across the district and I have worked honestly for the party’s betterment. However, this has been an obligatory selection from the party. HS Chandramauli has been a legal consultant to minister KJ George in DYSP Ganapathy suicide case and his candidature selection has been favoured."

“I would not have had a rift with the party if they had chosen from aspirants like K P Chandrakala and others. I have no objection towards the party’s selection of Arun Machaiah as Virajpet’s contestant. But Chandramauli is nowhere connected to the district and his selection has cheated us of our rights,” he added.

Kodagu Zilla Panchayat member and aspirant from Madikeri constituency, K P Chandrakala too expressed her dissatisfaction over Chandramouli’s selection.

“I am in a helpless position. I have honestly worked for Congress and it is tough for me to quit the party now. We met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday and poured in our grievances. Our enthusiasm to work for the party has been killed by Chandramauli’s candidature selection. There would not have been a cause for this anguish if the party had chosen a candidate from within the district,” she said.