After days of intense debate over the Kolar parliamentary seat in Karnataka, All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Saturday finally announced KV Gowtham as its candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “The Central Election Committee has approved the candidature of Shri K.V. Gowtham as Congress candidate to contest the ensuing general elections to the Lok Sabha from the 28-Kolar SC Parliamentary constituency of Karnataka,” read the official statement.
Earlier, a massive political drama erupted in Karnataka over the Kolar Lok Sabha ticket in Congress, wherein at least 5 MLAs, including a sitting minister, and 2 MLCs (Members of Legislative Council) threatened to resign from the party over reports that the Kolar ticket was being given to Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa’s family. The MLAs and the MLc’s alleged that the party distributes tickets within the family and said that since KH Muniyappa’s daughter was already an MLA, the ticket should not go to another relative of the same family.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala said Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar held a detailed deliberation with senior leader KH Muniyappa and party MLA’s on the winning strategy for the Kolar Parliament seat for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He also stressed to build a consensus around a SC Left candidate for the Kolar parliament seat.
“Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal and myself had separate and long discussion with KH Muniyappa emphasising the fact that in the interest of a winning strategy, we need to build a consensus around a SC Left candidate for Kolar Parliament,” Surjewala said in a post on X. “All Congress MLA’s have already said that they will abide by the candidate decided by the Central Election Committee and party leadership, bereft of any personal differences,” he further said.
The post further read, “It is heartening to note that 7 times MP from Kolar Parliament, Sh. K.H.Muniyappa has shown magnanimity and grace by suggesting that consensus as also joint effort by every Congress leader is the winning combination in this Parliament election and he and his family will make any sacrifice for the @INCIndia is supreme for him. Party leadership will accordingly proceed with this winning strategy.” Randeep Singh Surjewala also thanked all party leaders for the resolute unity to defeat the BJP.
Karnataka, which has 28 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in two phases on April 26 and May 7. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JD-S fought together against the BJP and the combine was decimated.
The BJP had won a record 25 seats; Congress and JD-S won just one seat each. The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases, starting on April 19. The counting of votes is on June 4.
