The smouldering discontent in the Kolar district Congress unit exploded with senior Congress leader K H Muniyappa targeting KPCC president D K Shivakumar and leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah over the inclusion of former legislators Kothur Manjunath and Dr M C Sudhakar into the Congress.
“Why did you keep me in the dark and permit the duo to join the party? I was ready for a compromise after losing the Parliamentary seat in 2019. Why did you yield to them though they defeated me? You should clarify the need to have them in the party to the voters of the constituency,” the seven-time MP sought to know from Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah.
“Ramesh Kumar (Srinivaspur MLA) is playing the role of Shakuni (character in the epic Mahabharata who brought down the Kauravas). He plays different roles. He is exercising control over those whom I nurtured,” the former MP told reporters.
He said that he would bounce back in a few days as the polls were approaching. It should be seen who wins and who loses, he added.
Muniyappa has been openly criticising Ramesh Kumar, Kothur Manjunath and Dr Sudhakar as he believes that the trio scripted his defeat.
Ramesh Kumar cornered
He chaired a meeting of his supporters over the inclusion of Manjunath and Dr Sudhakar in Kolar.
His supporters said the thieves and merchants, who supported the BJP in the last Parliamentary election, have been brought to the party. These people stay in some other party during the night and spend the day in the Congress. Permission for them to join the party is aimed at sidelining Muniyappa in the party. MLA K R Ramesh Kumar is directly responsible for this, they alleged at the meeting.
They termed Muniyappa as a genuine leader of Dalits, backward classes and minorities, claiming that Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah were fake leaders. Those nurtured by Muniyappa were backstabbing him, they vented anger.
While a few supporters demanded that Muniyappa should join any party other than the BJP, others wanted him to continue in the party.
His supporters from Kolar, Chikkaballapur districts and representatives of local bodies were present at the meeting.
Muniyappa lost to BJP’s Muniswamy in the 2019 poll by a margin of over one lakh voters. He had openly expressed willingness to become the KPCC president after his defeat, but the high command chose Shivakumar for the job. It is said that he would soon join the JD(S).