BENGALURU: Even as the rebellion within Congress is yet to settle down after the release of the party’s two lists, aspirants waiting for the third list have already started voicing their opinion. Those who got to know that they may miss the bus are coming out in the open against the party leadership.
Members of the Karnataka Rajya Hatagara Lingayata Peetha and their religious heads demanded that the community leader, Dr Malleshappa S Daddenavara, should be given the ticket from Terdal in Bagalkot district. They were against issuing the ticket to former minister Umashri, a loyalist of Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah. They met KPCC president DK Shivakumar with their representation.
The Chickpet constituency too is likely to see rebellion as veteran RV Devaraj, a Balija commuity man, is backed by Shivakumar, former BBMP mayor Gangambhike by campaign committee chairman MB Patil and KGF Babu, who was suspended from the party, by former union minister KH Muniyappa.
Asked about dissatisfaction within Congress on ticket distribution, Shivakumar said he will not pass the responsibility of quelling the rebellion to the party's high command but will handle it himself. He said if the party comes to power, posts in boards and corporations will be given to those who did not get tickets.
He claimed that only winnability counted while selecting the candidates and the internal surveys by the KPCC and AICC were not the sole criterion. Social justice too came into play with subsects of SCs being accommodated proportionate to their population. Lingayats too will get more tickets this time, he said. “It is natural in politics. It is all about sharing power with cooperation. Once our government comes to power, power will be shared. We are asking everyone to be calm. Even before the release of the list there was dissent in BJP,” he said.