KC Venugopal not to contest this Lok Sabha election

Bengaluru: Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal and Karnataka in-charge of the Congress party on Sunday said that he would not contest the Lok Sabha election on account of his organisational responsibilities. 

Addressing presspersons, Venugopal, who represents Kerala’s Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency in Lok Sabha, said he had conveyed his decision to the party leadership in the state. Venugopal is the Congress General Secretary in charge of organisation. 

“It is my responsibility to do my duty for the party. Also I am in-charge of (party affairs in) Karnataka. Contesting polls in Alappuzha by sitting in Delhi will be an injustice to my voters. I am personally interested in fighting polls but party’s interests are supreme. In this context, there is practical difficulties for me to fighting election in Alappuzha,” he said. 

Venugopal said, “I have conveyed my decision to KPCC President Mullappally Ramachandran, AICC General Secretary Oommen Chandy and Leader of Opposition in Kerala Assembly Ramesh Chennithala.” 

Venugopal replaced Ashok Gehlot in January in a reshuffle in the All India Congress Committee (AICC), days after Gehlot took over as the Rajasthan Chief Minister.