Devanahalli Congress leaders resign en masse 

BENGALURU: With the Congress delaying its first list of candidates for the Karnataka Assembly polls, differences among different camps have come to the fore with supporters of former union minister KH Muniyappa and former deputy chief minister Dr G  Parameshwara locking horns over the Devanahalli seat. The list was expected on Wednesday, but now it is likely to be released in a day or two.

In a major development on Thursday, the presidents of different Congress blocks in Devanahalli, including Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha Youth Congress president, resigned en masse opposing reports of the party fielding Muniyappa from the constituency. They consider Muniyappa as an outsider to the constituency. Most of them are in favour of AC Srinivas, the man Friday of Parameshwara. But both the SC right and left community leaders were in favour of Muniyappa and did not resign.

“It has come to our notice that the high command has decided to field KH  Muniyappa and entire Devarahahalli leadership is resolved to oppose him,” the 22 leaders stated in a letter to the AICC leadership. As many as 14 aspirants have shown interest to fight from Devanahalli which is reserved for the SC category.

“Parameshwara had lobbied for AC Srinivas though the latter had lost from Mahadevapura twice,” said one of the aspirants. But the aspirant clarified that if the party fields Muniyappa, both the SC left and right community, with an electorate population of over 70,000, will work for him. “If Srinivas gets the ticket, we will ensure his defeat and in Koratagere, Parameshwara will also bite the dust as Muniyappa has an influence on the SC left community,” he elaborated.