Full-blown revolt erupts in Congress, rebels attack Siddaramaiah

Bangaluru: A full-blown revolt has broken out in the Congress in Karnataka a day after the party released list of 218 candidates for the upcoming assembly polls in the state. Congress supporters staged protests in many parts of the state, while a number of the party’s law makers who have not found their names in the list, threatened to resign from the party.
Rebellion was brewing in the party’s rank and the file in the state against the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. But when the list was made public, several aspirants hit the road in open defiance of the party leadership.
Voices of dissent were heard from Jagalur, Tiptur, Hangal, Mayaknda, Kunigal, Kolar, Kollegal, Belur, Badami, Kittur and many other assembly constituencies.
Supporters of former excise minister Manohar Tahsildhar, who currently represents Hangal, staged a protest over denial of the party ticket to their leader. Incumbent Jagalur MLA H P Rajesh rushed to Bengaluru late Sunday night to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after his name failed to figure on the list.
At a time when the BJP is stopping at nothing in putting up a fight against the Congress the revolt within the grand old party is seen as offering the saffron party an opportunity to hit the Congress below the belt.
The Congress has not followed the “one-family, one-ticket formula” in Karnataka election. The party has granted tickets to the Chief Minister’s son, the Home Minister’s daughter and the Law Minister’s son. The party had followed this rule in Punjab also where it won with a thumping majority last year.