Infighting cost Congress dear in Council polls?

 

A senior minister on the condition of anonymity told Deccan Chronicle that the Chief Minister was right on target  in his observation but added that it was not sabotage that defeated party nominees. The real reason was infighting within the rank and file of the party in many districts. In fact, Tumakuru, Kolar and Belagavi are considered fortresses of the Congress Party and the reason they lost were the simmering differences among local leaders. 

Many of them are said to be disenchanted with the three-year-old Siddaramaiah government due to the failure to reshuffle the Cabinet and the delay in making appointments to boards and corporations. Unless this issue is addressed seriously, the party may face an uphill task in the zilla panchayat and taluk panchayat elections.

 

The minister said that the party erred in ticket distribution and succumbed to pressure rather than choosing winnable candidates. Though the party won in Hassan-the stronghold of Janata Dal (Secular) and Shivamogga, the fortress of the Bharatiya Janata Party, it lost badly in Tumakuru, Belagavi, Kolar and Kalaburagi-strongholds of the Congress. 

“I did not know why  state leaders are not ready to sit across the table to hammer out misunderstanding before advising the cadre to bury differences. The enemies of the Congress are within and not outside,” he said.

 

A prominent leader from Kolar district said the Congress had bright chances to wrest the seat had state leadership listened to local leaders. The rank and file of the party stayed neutral after state leaders gave the ticket to a supporter of former Chief Minister and Chikkaballapura MP Veerappa Moily. It was a similar story in Mandya where Mr L.R. Shivaramegowda was given the ticket despite strong opposition from local leaders. The Council poll results have embarrassed Home Minister Dr G Parameshwar and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge who had his eyes on the CM' seat. But more embarrassing for Dr Parameshwar is the fact that the Chief Minister has asked for a report to know the reasons for the defeat of party candidates, the minister said.