Bengaluru: A fresh rift between Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar has come to the fore, this time over “one family one ticket” Udaipur resolution. While Shivakumar is for the Udaipur directive, Siddaramaiah argues that it is yet to be implemented.
The resolution may blow up Siddaramaiah’s plans to contest from two constituencies as he did in the last assembly election. The LoP had contested from Chamundeshwari and Badami. He lost Chamundeshwari, but won Badami by a very thin margin of 1696 votes by defeating BJP’s B Sriramulu, who is a minister in Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s cabinet.
The situation has remained the same ahead of the 2023 election as well. He and his supporters are hunting for a safe seat from where Siddaramaiah can register a comfortable win and stake claim for chief ministry.
Siddaramaiah has ruled out contesting from Badami, saying that it was very difficult for him to pay regular visits to the constituency due to his busy schedules. Siddaramaiah’s supporters are asking him, either to contest from Kolar or from Varuna constituency.
Other experts, however, are warning Siddaramaiah not to contest from Kolar, claiming that he cannot win unless he wins over KH Muniyappa. The circumstances are not conducive for the Congress leader as Muniyappa and his daughter MLA Roopkala Shashidhar did not turn up for a mega event featuring Siddaramaiah this November. And reasons for this are not hard to elicit.
Speculations are rife that Miniyappa may join BJP ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha elections. On August 26, Muniyappa had met CM Bommai and Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar.
Muniyappa is upset with Karnataka Congress leaders including Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah for keeping him away while deciding on admitting local leaders MC Sudhakar and Kothanur Manjunath into the party.
Under these uncertain circumstances, the directive of “one family one ticket” is an anathema for Siddaramaiah if he decides to contest from Varuna where his son Yahindra Siddaramaiah is the sitting MLA.
Shivakumar on November 25 had declared “one family one ticket” rule in Karnataka after the Congress resolution adopted by the party in Udaipur. According to the resolution two people from the same family cannot hold a party post unless both have individually given more than five years to the organisation.
Shivakumar said, “Whoever it may be, just one ticket will be given,” and added, “Everybody must work with unity. Party is important, not individuals.”
Reacting to it, Siddaramaiah said, “There is a resolution in the Udaipur meet but it has not been implemented so far, let us see what is the decision of the High command on this.”
