Southern States
-
Karnataka
Cong. 'rebels' threaten to back Gowda in bypoll
By Our Special Correspondent
BANGALORE, JAN. 28. The Congress Party is facing a revolt of sorts from within even as it is priming itself to face the challenge from the former Prime Minister and JD(S) leader, H.D. Deve Gowda, in the Kanakapura parliamentary byelection. Some of its leaders are stated to be threatening to support the candidature of Mr. Deve Gowda.
The list of such leaders includes the party's associate MLA, V. Somanna, the former minister and MP from Mandya, G. Made Gowda, another former minister, S. Ramesh, and Sadat Ali Khan, former MLA from Channapatna.
However, more than the alleged threat to support Mr. Deve Gowda held out by Mr. Somanna, Mr. Made Gowda's stand is expected to harm the Congress as he is a prominent Vokkaliga leader of Mandya District. Mr. Made Gowda was unhappy that the Congress got the Kannada film star, Ambarish, elected from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency after securing his defection from the Janata Dal. Thereby, it denied the ticket to Mr. Made Gowda. It was Mr. Deve Gowda who introduced Ambarish to politics. Mr. Made Gowda is no stranger to the Janata Dal camp, and he had been elected on the Janata ticket to the Assembly in 1978. But he defected to the Congress to become a minister.
Mr. Somanna is stated to be at his old game of threatening to quit the party if his demands are not met. He has convened a meeting of his supporters here on Tuesday morning where a decision will be taken on supporting Mr. Gowda. According to Congress sources, Mr. Somanna met the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, on Sunday night and placed before him his demand -- a ministership or some other office of relevance to Bangalore. Till his entry into the Congress legislature party, the MLA, who was elected as an independent from Binnypet in Bangalore, was with the Janata Dal.
It may be recalled that Mr. Somanna had threatened to join hands with the JD(S) at the time of the elections to the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Council unless the Congress gave the party ticket to his supporters. He succeeded in getting the Congress ticket for about 14 of his supporters, and 11 of them were elected.
However, according to Legislature sources, Mr. Somanna would be disqualified and lose his membership under the anti-defection law if he were to join the JD(S). After being elected as an independent in the 1999 elections, he had already exercised the option available to independent legislators under the anti-defection law by joining the Congress as an associate member. He could not change his loyalties again, it is being stated. While in the JD, he had switched his loyalties from Mr. Deve Gowda to J.H. Patel.
Mr. Somanna is stated to be in touch with the JD(S) leaders. However, it is being stated that his expression of support to Mr. Deve Gowda will not be of much consequence as he represents a Bangalore constituency which is not part of the Kanakapura Lok Sabha seat.
Mr. Ramesh, who had represented the Uttarahalli Assembly constituency, which is the largest segment of Kanakapura, is known to be at loggerheads with the party candidate and Cooperation Minister, D.K. Shivakumar. He has considerable hold over the slumdwellers in the constituency. Mr. Shivakumar is stated be promoting a rival of Mr. Ramesh in the constituency, Mr. Somashekar, who is an INTUC leader.
Mr. Khan, a former MLA from Channapatna (which is a segment of Kanakapura constituency) who was defeated by an independent candidate, C.P. Yogishwar in 1999, is stated to be unhappy that the party admitted the latter as an associate member. Mr. Khan has considerable hold over the Muslim voters in Channapatna.
The Congress has already lost M.P. Keshavamurthy, former minister who had represented Anekal which is part of the Kanakapura seat, to the JD(S).
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Southern States
|
