The Congress party is likely to suspend its former MP, K Jayaprakash Hegde, and sitting MLC B T Dayananda Reddy for contesting the Legislative Council elections from Dakshina Kannada and Bengaluru Urban local body constituencies respectively as rebel candidates.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and State Congress president G Parameshwara are likely to meet in a day or two to decide on action against the party’s rebels, said KPCC general secretary and MLC N S Bose Raju. The Congress will “not spare anyone who indulges in anti-party activities”, he added.
The Congress has fielded K Pratapchandra Shetty from UDakshina Kannada and M Narayanswamy from Bengaluru Urban. Efforts by the chief minister and State Congress president to convince the rebels to withdraw the nominations failed. The rebels refused to budge and even dared the party to take action against them.
The BJP, too, is grappling with rebels and has already expelled one of them, Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, from the party for contesting from the Vijayapura local body constituency.
Meanwhile, both the Congress and the BJP have started canvassing for the elections that are scheduled for December 27. The chief minister is learnt to have directed all district in-charge ministers to camp in their respective districts and oversee the party’s poll campaign. Senior Congress leaders have been visiting various parts of Karnataka to drum up support for the party’s candidates.
The BJP’s senior leaders, including former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and opposition leaders, Jagadish Shetty and K S Eshwarappa, have also started the campaign.
Gowda canvassed at Kengeri hobli in Bengaluru on Sunday. On the occasion, he trained guns at the ruling Congress, saying it was “neglecting” welfare schemes launched by the erstwhile BJP government in Karnataka. He also accused the State government of “appropriating” the schemes being implemented by the Centre.
The JD(S) is also campaigning across the State.
N S Bose RajU, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee General Secretary:
The Congress will not spare anyone who indulges in anti-party activities.