Congress making efforts to resolve differences with JDS at local level, says party

Bengaluru: Worried about dissidence within hampering prospects of the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance in Karnataka in the Lok Sabha polls, Congress is going all out to find a ‘via media’ solution to differences between local leaders of the parties in old Mysuru region, especially Mandya.

The alliance is facing a backlash at several places, including Tumkur, Mandya and Hassan, where Congress workers are not actively participating in campaigning for JD(S) candidates, unhappy over the seat arrangements.

With a cold response from local leaders and workers, Congress is now worried about a similar response from JD(S) in constituencies like Mysore, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Bangalore North and Bangalore Rural, where its candidates are in the fray.

With the transfer of votes between Congress and JD(S) crucial for them to outperform the BJP, there is no worry that this dissidence may affect their performance.

Following the recent diktat from the party high command, including its national President Rahul Gandhi, to ensure support of Congress workers to JD(S) candidates, the state leadership has now pitched into damage control mode.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dinesh Gundu Rao, along with CLP leader Siddaramaiah late on Tuesday night met party leaders from Mandya, where the dissidence between both parties is more visible and asked them to campaign for JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

According to Congress sources, party leaders in Mandya told Rao and Siddaramaiah about their difficulty in supporting JD(S), which is their arch rival in the district.

Also citing Kumaraswamy himself not seeking their support as one of the reasons for staying away, they have also expressed strong opinion against certain recent statements by the Chief Minister on a section of Mandya Congress leaders.

However, Siddaramaiah pacified them and said Congress may have to face repercussions in constituencies like Mysore, where their candidates are in the fray and JD(S) has a strong presence, sources said.

Several Mandya Congress leaders like N Cheluvarayaswamy, P M Narendraswamy and Ramesh Bandisidde Gowda among others, had not even attended Nikhil’s nomination filing.

“I, along with our CLP leader, have discussed with our leaders in Mandya…we have discussed on how to manage things. I have confidence that that thing will get resolved,” Rao told reporters on Wednesday.

Asked if all former Congress MLAs and leaders would take part in campaigning for coalition candidate, he said “with CLP leader Siddarmaiah and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda jointly campaigning in Mysore, Mandya, Tumkur, Bengaluru soon, all our leaders will have to be present, so I’m confident that things will be resolved.”

Also, stating that small differences in Mysore have been resolved with the Congress leadership speaking to district-in-charge minister G T Devegowda of JD(S), Rao said there is no problem now for JD(S) leaders to campaignfor the Congress candidate,

In the days to come “you will get to know that things are positive.
“Whether it is Mysore or Mandya, both parties will support and strengthen each other in all constituencies of southern Karnataka to ensure the victory of coalition candidates,” he said, adding that Rahul Gandhi has given clear orders that Congress workers should ensure JD(S)’ victory inconstituencies where it is contesting.

G T Deve Gowda, who has the credit of defeating former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from Chamundeshwari in the assembly polls, did not campaign for Congress candidate Vijayashankar in Mysore, which has caused someworry among the party leadership about JD(S)’ support in the polls.

“We will discuss with Kumaraswamy and resolve all the issues….they were all in the same party (JDS) earlier, so we have found a via media solution. There will be satisfactory developments in the days to come,” he said.

Though Congress leaders in Mandya have remained silent during campaigning, according to reports several of them through their supporters are working in favour of an independent candidate and multilingual actress Sumalatha Ambareesh. Sumalatha, the wife of late actor-turned politician M H Ambareesh, seat sharing decided to contest as an independentafter Congress, the party from which her husband represented Mandya in the past, denied her the ticket, citing coalition compulsions.

Pointing out that Sumalatha is a BJP supported candidate, Rao said”….we will take necessary action (against party workers supporting her).

They can quit the party and work for anyone, but being in the party no one goes against its decisions, it will not be tolerated.”

Accorseat-sharing arrangement Congress and JD(S) have decided to contest in 21 and seven Lok Sabha seats respectively.