From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network
Bengaluru, Mar 28: KPCC Chief and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday asserted that the imbroglio within the Congress party over the selection of the candidate for the Kolar parliamentary constituency will be sorted out amicably with nobody tendering any resignation.
Speaking to media persons near his residence in Bengaluru, he made it clear that all Congressmen will work unitedly for the success of the party candidates in Kolar and other constituencies in the State without sticking to individual prestige.
He admitted that there is pressure from rival candidates for the party ticket, which is natural because Congress is going to win.
“The Kolar ticket issue will be discussed with the Chief Minister and a mutually satisfactory solution will be found. Nobody is going to resign from the party or the government,’’ he said brushing aside the threats of resignation by a minister and some MLAs as ‘part of the pressure tactics’.
Shivakumar said his brother and Bengaluru Rural MP D K Suresh has done lot of work in the constituency every single day.
“Even during the Covid pandemic, when the Centre did not allow even the body of Union Minister Suresh Angadi in the Narendra Modi government was not allowed to be brought to his native place for the last rites, Suresh was active. He purchased fruits and vegetables from farmers and distributed it to the people of the constituency. He gave medical kits to people. He even conducted last rites of the victims wearing a PPT kit,” he said.
“When political leaders were scared of stepping out, Suresh visited hospitals in a PPE kit and enquired about the health of patients. It is all history now but he has risked his life to serve the people. He works like a Panchayat member every single day. He doesn’t have to make special preparations during elections. We have people and party workers on our side,” he explained.
When asked about Dr C N Manjunath, son-in-law of JDS supremo H D Deve Gowda contesting against Suresh from Bengaluru Rural constituency on a BJP ticket, the KPCC Chief said it was indicative of the irrelevance of JDS. “Even Deve Gowda’s own son-in-law is contesting on BJP ticket and not from JDS,’’ he said.
Shivakumar pointed out that electoral battle with the Deve Gowda family was not new to him.
“We have fought many elections against the Deve Gowda family. We have got a woman elected against Deve Gowda. I have faced Kumaraswamy in an election. Suresh had won an election against the Anita Kumaraswamy, who was the joint candidate of BJP and JDS. We defeated Anita Kumaraswamy by a huge margin even when I was not a minister in the previous Siddaramaiah government. People have been supporting us ever since,” he explained.
The KPCC Chief said the Congress party is not worried about BJP fielding senior party leader Govind Karjol from Chitradurga.
“Let them field anyone, we have fielded Chandrappa. BJP has refused tickets to sitting MPs and ministers and it clearly shows that BJP has weakened in the State,’’ he said pointing out that BJP is unsure of victory.
Asked about star campaigners from Congress, he said, “AICC President is from Karnataka itself. We have requested Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi to visit Karnataka. Considering they have to travel across the country for the campaign, we can’t expect too many days in Karnataka.”