Daijiworld Media Network – Mandya (RJP)
Mandya, Apr 11: The Congress party has suspended seven of its block presidents in Mandya where the party has been witnessing dissidence after the nominations for Lok Sabha elections were filed.
In an order issued on Wednesday, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) suspended the block presidents based on complaints that they were working against chief minister HD Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Gowda, the JD(S) candidate endorsed by the Congress as part of an alliance. The order says that these seven block presidents were indulging in anti-party activities.
Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao
The seven block presidents are, H Appaji, Mandya Rural; AS Rajeev, Bharati Nagar; Putraramu, Malavalli Rural; KJ Devaraju, Malavalli City; M Prasanna, Nagamangala; KR Ravindra Babu, KR Pet and SB Prakash, Melkote.
A section of Congress workers is supporting Sumalatha, wife of Congressman late Ambareesh, who is contesting as an independent. Sumalatha had sought the ticket this time. The party, however, turned her request down as the Mandya seat had been ceded to the JD(S). As many of the Congress workers are supporting Sumalatha, Nikhil has been facing tough time. It is said that Congress workers are unwilling to support Nikhil because the JD(S) leadership had not taken them into confidence.
The suspension came after repeated warnings from the Congress leadership. The party is particularly irked with the dissidence because Sumalatha has found support from the BJP, which has not fielded a candidate in Mandya.
The Congress is worried that if its party workers do not cooperate with the JD(S) in Mandya, the regional party's cadre could return the favour in the Mysore Lok Sabha constituency, which the Congress is desperate to wrest from the BJP.
The suspension comes ahead of Congress president Rahul Gandhi's campaign scheduled to be held at Krishna Rajanagara of the Mandya Lok Sabha segment on April 13.
On April 12, JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah are slated to hold a joint campaign there.