Whoever accepts Congress’s principles are welcome: CM day after Yogeshwar resigns
This comes amid growing speculations on senior CP Yogeshwar, who submitted his resignation from the post of MLC over the party’s denial of a ticket to him from Channapatna constituency
People accepting the principles of Congress are welcome to join the party, chief minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday ahead of the Channapatna by-elections.
“Whoever accepts the principles of Congress is welcome,” Siddaramaiah said during a media interaction in Mysuru. This comes amid growing speculations regarding senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader CP Yogeshwar, who submitted his resignation from the post of member of legislative council (MLC) on Monday over the party’s denial of a ticket to him from Channapatna constituency.
The Channapatna by-election has emerged as a key political battleground, particularly in light of shifting alliances. The seat, previously held by JD(S) leader HD Kumaraswamy, became vacant after he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Mandya. Under the NDA alliance, the BJP and JD(S) had reportedly agreed to let JD(S) field a candidate for Channapatna. However, Yogeshwar’s reluctance to run on a JD(S) ticket has disrupted the alliance’s plans. There is now speculation that Nikhil Kumaraswamy, HD Kumaraswamy’s son, may contest from the seat on behalf of JD(S).
Siddaramaiah, discussing the upcoming bypolls in three constituencies, including Sandur, Channapatna, and Shiggaon, confirmed that Congress is well-prepared for the electoral contests. He said: “Annapurna, the wife of E Tukaram, will be the party’s candidate in Sandur, a seat left vacant by Tukaram’s election to the Lok Sabha. Decisions regarding the Channapatna and Shiggaon candidates are expected to be made soon. KPCC president DK Shivakumar will finalise the candidate for Channapatna.”
To a question on demands to give the Channapatna ticket to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s brother and former Congress MP from Bangalore Rural D K Suresh, the CM said, “his name is also there, let’s see what will be decided.”The last date for filing nominations is October 25, and the final date for withdrawal of papers is October 30.
Bypolls for Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna are necessitated, as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) -- to Lok Sabha in May elections.
On Tuesday, CP Yogeshwar, a former tourism minister under the BS Yediyurappa-led BJP government, hinted at contesting the Channapatna by-election as an independent candidate. Following his resignation, which was accepted by legislative council chairman Basavaraja Horatti, Yogeshwar revealed that he has not yet made any final decisions about his future. “I am thinking of contesting the upcoming Channapatna assembly by-election as an independent candidate,” he said.
“I haven’t decided about joining any other party, but I am considering running independently. As the bye-election comes, some rumors start to spread, but I don’t have such intentions—what happens tomorrow, I don’t know,” he added.
Despite his uncertainty, Yogeshwar also made a direct appeal to both the BJP and JD(S) leadership, urging them to reconsider their decisions. “I request, through the media, to the high command (BJP) to give me a chance to contest the bypoll. I have worked for the party for many years, and I appeal to Kumaraswamy to give me an opportunity,” Yogeshwar said.
Speaking on the issue, Kumaraswamy revealed that BJP national president JP Nadda had contacted him regarding Yogeshwar’s candidacy. Nadda reportedly suggested Yogeshwar to resign from his MLC post to contest Channapatna on a JD(S) ticket. Kumaraswamy also mentioned that Union minister Pralhad Joshi had reached out to request that BJP be allowed to field its own candidate for the constituency. With just a few days left before the nomination deadline, Kumaraswamy said, “We’ll see what happens.”
With PTI inputs