Shouting matches mar Congress meet to select candidates for Karnataka bypolls

Soon after the meeting began, there was a shouting match between former MP KH Muniyappa, who had won the Kolar Lok Sabha constituency for seven consecutive terms till 2019, and former chief minister Siddaramaiah.

A meeting of senior state leaders of the Congress, with AICC general secretary KC Venugopal, was held on Thursday to decide candidates for byelections in the state. However, it turned into a heated post-mortem into the party’s Lok Sabha elections debacle in the state.

The meeting of the state election committee was held here with Venugopal and other seniors present, and the Congress state leaders were an upbeat lot as they believed they had a chance to exact revenge against the 17 rebels, whose disqualifications had necessitated bypolls. (Photo @INCKarnataka)

The meeting of the state election committee was held here with Venugopal and other seniors present, and the Congress state leaders were an upbeat lot as they believed they had a chance to exact revenge against the 17 rebels, whose disqualifications had necessitated bypolls. The bypolls were deferred subsequently by the Election Commission as a challenge to the disqualifications is being heard in the Supreme Court.

However, as soon as the meeting began, one senior leader said there was a feeling that the meeting was unlikely to be held amicably. Soon after the meeting began, there was a shouting match between former MP KH Muniyappa, who had won the Kolar Lok Sabha constituency for seven consecutive terms till 2019, and former chief minister Siddaramaiah.

Muniyappa took issue with Siddaramaiah’s continued support of former Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar. Kumar is an MLA from Srinivasapura in Kolar district, and Muniyappa had accused Kumar of having supported the BJP candidate in the Kolar seat, ensuring Muniyappa’s defeat.

Heated exchanges ensued before others intervened to pacify Muniyappa, who has also lodged a formal complaint with the party’s high command against MLAs from Kolar district for having allegedly supported the BJP.

To be sure, Muniyappa is not the only leader to have attacked the state unit of the party. Others like former MP Mallikarjun Kharge, who also lost in the Lok Sabha polls, is believed to have expressed misgivings about the state unit of the party.

Most seniors’ anger has concentrated on Siddaramaiah, who has become a target for them, especially because he joined the Congress only in 2006 but was made the chief minister when the party came to power in 2013.

That was not the only disagreement in a tense meeting. Rajya Sabha member BK Hariprasad is also said to have raised concerns about the functioning of the state unit of the party, alleging that the state leaders did not consult seniors while taking decisions, a senior leader who was present at the meeting confirmed on the condition of anonymity.

Explaining his outburst to HT, Muniyappa said he was angered by Siddaramaiah’s continued support of Ramesh Kumar and had asked the party to make it clear if it will stand with committed Congress leaders or those who betrayed the party.

“People are suspended for speaking against the party, expelled for ensuring the fall of the coalition government. However, no action is taken against those who supported BJP and ensured my defeat,” he said. “I asked [Congress state president] Dinesh Gundu Rao and Siddaramaiah what message they are giving by campaigning along with such people.” Muniyappa was referring to recent public rallies where Ramesh Kumar had participated along with Siddaramaiah.

The senior leader quoted above said that the party leaders felt this was not the right forum for Muniyappa to bring up the issues. “However, one cannot deny that these issues are there,” he said.

Political analyst Harish Ramaswamy, who is a faculty member of political science at the Karnatak University Dharwad, said Thursday’s fight showed the decline of the Congress party.

“At a time like this, when the party should be united and campaigning the failure of the BJP government in providing relief to the flood regions of the state, the Congress leaders seem to be completely clueless,” he said.

“This is not just a Karnataka-specific trend, it is happening across the country. Congress leaders seem to be concerned about petty personal issues rather than the political survival of their own party,” he said.

“The Congress must realise that it has only one true leader in this state and that is Siddaramaiah, and it must stick with him if it hopes to win anything,” he added.