Senior Congress leader K H Muniyappa has voiced dissatisfaction with the party’s decision regarding the selection of a candidate for the Kolar Lok Sabha seat in the upcoming polls. Muniyappa, who expressed disappointment after his son-in-law was overlooked for the ticket, highlighted internal rifts within the party’s factions led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar.
Speaking to reporters, Muniyappa stated that efforts to reach a compromise between the factions proved futile, leading to the selection of a “third person” as the candidate. Despite attempts by party leadership to mediate, differences persisted, culminating in the nomination of a ‘neutral’ candidate, K V Gowtham, for the Kolar segment.
Muniyappa emphasized the need for a local candidate and suggested that the party leadership could have facilitated a compromise formula. He denied personal discontent but expressed disappointment with the decision-making process.
The rift in the Kolar unit arose when several Congress legislators, including a minister, threatened to resign if Muniyappa’s son-in-law, belonging to the SC community, received the ticket. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar intervened, holding discussions with dissenting lawmakers.
Muniyappa, a seven-time representative of the Kolar Lok Sabha seat, returned to state politics after an electoral loss in 2019. Despite the internal discord, Shivakumar expressed optimism, stating that dissidence within the Kolar unit had been resolved, with leaders committed to ensuring the party’s victory in the upcoming elections.
