Discontent seems to be brewing within a section of the Karnataka Congress, following the party’s announcement of its second list of candidates for the May 10 Assembly polls, as some ticket aspirants who did not make it have openly expressed displeasure.
While some have decided to quit the party, a couple of them have said they would discuss things with their supporters and decide on their future course of action.
Former MLC Raghu Achar who was denied the Chitradurga ticket said he was joining the JD(S) on April 14, and would ensure that the party won all the seats in Chitradurga district.
JD(S) leader T A Saravana met Achar today, following which the latter said he had not placed any demand but would “give back” to the Congress for the insult caused to his self-esteem, and ensure that it got defeated across the district.
Ticket aspirant from Mandya KK Radhakrishna, speaking to reporters after meeting his supporters, said he would travel across the constituency for a week and then come up with his next move.
Aspirant from Kadur YSV Datta too has called a meeting of his supporters on Sunday to chart a course of action. He has written a letter to supporters in which he said “insult has been done to our self-esteem.” It was widely expected that the Kadur seat would go to Datta, a senior politician who had switched to the Congress from JD(S) recently, but the ticket was given to Anand K S. Datta is considered to have been one of the close confidants of former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda.
The Congress released its second list of 41 candidates on Thursday. The party has so far announced candidates for 166 of the total 224 seats, and is yet to finalise the list for the remaining 58 seats.