Rebellion worries Congress, BJP ahead of crucial May 10 Assembly polls

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: Rebels seem to have become a common worry for the two national parties, Congress and BJP ahead of the May 10 Assembly polls.

The first list of candidates which was released by the Congress party has already opened a Pandora’s box and more ‘action’ is likely to be witnessed once the second and probably, the final list is made public by the Congress Working Committee in a day or two. Already, party workers are publicly holding protests in several constituencies against the ‘paradropping’ of candidates by the high command.

On Tuesday, a section of workers burnt tyres and raised slogans which said ‘Umashreee Hatao, Teradal Bachao’ against making her the Teradal candidate for the third consecutive time. The workers are angry with her for not visiting the constituency in the last five years after she lost the 2018 Assembly polls. But she visited the constituency once or twice in the last one month after applying for a ticket.

Similar protests have been witnessed in Devanahalli, Mudigere, Chamaraja, Krishnaraja, and some more Assembly segments in the North Karnataka region. The anger of workers has left state leaders worried and they are making all efforts to douse the fire it before it takes a toll in the coming election. The ruling BJP is no exception with a similar situation prevailing in several constituencies across the State.

The rank and file in Mudigere constituency in Chikmagalur had protested before former CM B.S.Yediyurappa and BJP National General Secretary C.T.Ravi urging them not to give the ticket to sitting MLA M.P.Kumaraswamy which led to the cancellation of the proposed roadshow in the town.

There is also trouble for the BJP in Krishnaraja, Kalghatgi, Hubballi Central, Hubbali West, Mahadevapura, and other places where local leaders are stoutly opposed to giving the tickets to the incumbent MLAs. State leaders are convincing everyone to bury the hatchet at least till the elections. This kind of feeling is more prevalent in the Congress Party as it is tipped to win the coming Assembly election.

The Janata Dal (Secular) is facing such problems only in Hassan City constituency where Bhavani Revanna, wife of MLA H.D.Revanna wants to contest though this constituency has been reserved for Swaroop Prakash, son of a former MLA, by former CM, H.D.Kumaraswamy. This issue has created a rift between the brothers, Kumaraswamy and Revanna.