MYSURU: The decision of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) to invite applications from ticket aspirants has set the tone for intense lobbying in the party. The aspirants have paid Rs 5,000 as application fee, besides Rs 2 lakh for general constituencies and Rs 1 lakh for SC/ST reserved seats. This will pose a challenge to the party top brass as it could encourage rebellion and dissent within the party.
There are 69 sitting Congress MLAs in 224 assembly constituencies, 16 ministers who tasted defeat in the 2018 polls and three former MPs who are aspiring to get tickets for the assembly elections to be held in 2023. In veteran BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa’s Shikaripura constituency, there are 15 aspirants who are hopeful of getting a Congress ticket while in Terdal, which was represented by actress and former minister Umashree, there are 15 aspirants. While the Mahadevapura Reserve constituency has 14 aspirants in Bengaluru city, there are 12 hopefuls for Shivamogga Rural constituency.
The KPCC Women’s Wing president Pushpa Amarnath has also thrown her hat into the ring in Mahadevapura and Sakaleshpur constituencies. There are 11 aspirants for Mandya seat and nine in Mulbagal constituency. These aspirants have their own loyalists inside the party and many feel that their supporters will not work actively in the elections if denied tickets. There are reports that some aspiring candidates have already started panchayat-wise tours and are organising booth-level meetings assuming that they will get the ticket.
There is need for the Congress top leaders to hold constituency-wise meetings across the board to address the possible disappointment among aspirants.
A senior party leader, who did not wished to be named, said that the party is now hit by factionalism in a few constituencies and districts and top leaders in the party cannot afford to face wrath of grassroot-level workers or leaders.
ONE ASPIRANT, ONE TICKET: DKS
KPCC president DK Shivakumar on Friday sent out a clear message that every aspirant will be be allotted only one ticket in the 2023 Assembly polls. “There will be one ticket, no matter who the aspirant is”, he told reporters. In 2018, CLP leader Siddaramaiah, the then CM, had chosen to contest from Chamun-deshwari and Badami, while his son contested from Varuna Shivak-umar’s statement is being seen in the context of Sidda-ramaiah trying to contest from two seats in 2023 as well. On raising funds through ticket aspirants, Shivakumar said it is not a new thing as there used to be fund-raising initiatives in the past too.