Rebellion in Cong over tickets
17 April 2013 1:22 AM GMT
Protesting denial of ticket to a local Congress leader Anjanappa, his supporters in Chikkaballapur, part of Moily’s constituency, about 60 km from Bangalore, broken window panes and damaged furniture were found in the party office, a police spokesperson told reporters here.
In Mandya, about 80 km from here, district Congress office-bearers said they would stay away from the campaign as the party had changed a candidate for Srirangapatna seat in the district on the insistence of veteran Kannada actor and former junior central minister MH Ambareesh.
Ambareesh, given ticket for Mandya seat, had threatened not to contest unless the Srirangapatna candidate Ravindra Srikantaiah was changed. The party late Monday dropped Ravindra and gave ticket to Ambareesh follower Lingaraju.
The party also faced problems in Bhadravati, around 250 km north of Bangalore, as sitting assembly member Sangamesh was not renominated and former union civil aviation minister CM Ibrahim was given ticket. Ibrahim was earlier in Janata Dal and served as minister in the United Front government.
Sangamesh told reporters in Bhadravati that he would contest as an Independent.
Other trouble spots for the party were Davangere in central Karnataka and Bellary in the north with those denied ticket threatening to contest as Independents.
Nominations to elect 224 members of the 225-member assembly that includes one nominated member close Wednesday. Vote count is on 8 May.
NO FIGHT FOR CM’S POST: SIDDARAMAIAH
Rejecting suggestions of a tussle among chief ministerial aspirants in the Congress, senior state party leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said they would fight the 5 May Karnataka assembly polls under collective leadership without projecting any leader.
‘There is nothing wrong if there are some chief ministerial aspirants. But to think that the aspirants would mar the chances of the party has no basis and is only an illusion,’ Siddaramaiah said.
Siddaramaiah, Union minister Mallikarjun Kharge and KPCC chief G Parameshwara are considered to be in the race for chief ministership in the event of Congress coming to power, besides some others considered dark horses.
The ‘problem of plenty’ in Congress has often been derided by the ruling BJP which has repeatedly needled its principal opponent to name its leader.
‘It has been a tradition in the Congress never to declare its leader,’ Siddaramaiah, who is the opposition leader in the assembly, said.
KUMARASWAMY, WIFE, RICHEST COUPLE IN FRAY
JD-S Karnataka unit president and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and his wife Anita, contesting the 5 May assembly elections, have together declared assets worth Rs 123 crore.
With assets of Rs 150.58 crore, the list of rich candidates is topped by T N Javarayi Gowda, also from JDS headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who filed his nominations from Yeshvanthpur in Bangalore on Monday.
Kumaraswamy, Gowda’s son, and his wife are contesting from Ramanagaram and Channapatna respectively.
Many multi-millionaires are in the field from BJP, JDS and Congress, asset declarations by candidates as part of their affidavits filed along with their nomination papers show. Close to Javarayi Gowda is Tourism Minister Anand Singh of the BJP who has assets worth over Rs 104 crore.
A car freak, Anand Singh contesting from Vijaynagar from mine-rich Bellary district is stated to possess 25 vehicles including Bentleys, Mercedes Benzes and Tatra trucks.
In Mandya, about 80 km from here, district Congress office-bearers said they would stay away from the campaign as the party had changed a candidate for Srirangapatna seat in the district on the insistence of veteran Kannada actor and former junior central minister MH Ambareesh.
Ambareesh, given ticket for Mandya seat, had threatened not to contest unless the Srirangapatna candidate Ravindra Srikantaiah was changed. The party late Monday dropped Ravindra and gave ticket to Ambareesh follower Lingaraju.
The party also faced problems in Bhadravati, around 250 km north of Bangalore, as sitting assembly member Sangamesh was not renominated and former union civil aviation minister CM Ibrahim was given ticket. Ibrahim was earlier in Janata Dal and served as minister in the United Front government.
Sangamesh told reporters in Bhadravati that he would contest as an Independent.
Other trouble spots for the party were Davangere in central Karnataka and Bellary in the north with those denied ticket threatening to contest as Independents.
Nominations to elect 224 members of the 225-member assembly that includes one nominated member close Wednesday. Vote count is on 8 May.
NO FIGHT FOR CM’S POST: SIDDARAMAIAH
Rejecting suggestions of a tussle among chief ministerial aspirants in the Congress, senior state party leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said they would fight the 5 May Karnataka assembly polls under collective leadership without projecting any leader.
‘There is nothing wrong if there are some chief ministerial aspirants. But to think that the aspirants would mar the chances of the party has no basis and is only an illusion,’ Siddaramaiah said.
Siddaramaiah, Union minister Mallikarjun Kharge and KPCC chief G Parameshwara are considered to be in the race for chief ministership in the event of Congress coming to power, besides some others considered dark horses.
The ‘problem of plenty’ in Congress has often been derided by the ruling BJP which has repeatedly needled its principal opponent to name its leader.
‘It has been a tradition in the Congress never to declare its leader,’ Siddaramaiah, who is the opposition leader in the assembly, said.
KUMARASWAMY, WIFE, RICHEST COUPLE IN FRAY
JD-S Karnataka unit president and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and his wife Anita, contesting the 5 May assembly elections, have together declared assets worth Rs 123 crore.
With assets of Rs 150.58 crore, the list of rich candidates is topped by T N Javarayi Gowda, also from JDS headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who filed his nominations from Yeshvanthpur in Bangalore on Monday.
Kumaraswamy, Gowda’s son, and his wife are contesting from Ramanagaram and Channapatna respectively.
Many multi-millionaires are in the field from BJP, JDS and Congress, asset declarations by candidates as part of their affidavits filed along with their nomination papers show. Close to Javarayi Gowda is Tourism Minister Anand Singh of the BJP who has assets worth over Rs 104 crore.
A car freak, Anand Singh contesting from Vijaynagar from mine-rich Bellary district is stated to possess 25 vehicles including Bentleys, Mercedes Benzes and Tatra trucks.
Next Story
