Sira bye-polls: Cong national leadership against Jayachandra's candidature?

Bengaluru: “Surjewala said that ‘we should have given it to Rajesh Gowda isn’t it?… But he was asking ticket from us as well as from BJP and JD(S), he was with us only for namesake.”

This was a part of the conversation between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in a video that surfaced recently.

The video has now started a debate that there are differences between the national leadership and the State leadership of the Congress on the selection of TB Jayachandra as the party’s candidate for the Sira assembly constituency bye-election.

The conversation

DK Shivakumar (DKShi): Saheb had called. Should have given it to Rajesh Gowda instead of Jayachandra. He has been given the ticket 9 times since 1979. You are choosing him again? Don’t you have any common sense?

Siddaramaiah: Who said that?

DKShi: Him, Surjewala. He said that you could have given it to Rajesh Gowda. We discussed it, that we can’t do it like this. Think about it now.

Siddaramaiah: He has joined BJP isn’t it?

DKShi: I said that he has joined BJP. Last time he was with us.

Siddaramaiah: He was asking for a ticket from us, from BJP. Was in our party only for namesake.

DKShi: Yes, I said the same.

Siddaramaiah: That cannot happen… cannot happen.

DKShi: I had sent the fax. He was saying so after seeing it.

Siddaramaiah: Cannot happen… cannot happen.

DKShi: No, I just brought it to your attention.