Karnataka   

Koppal Congress divided over Rayareddy’s candidature

Koppal: The decision of the Congress high command to field the former MP Basavaraj Rayareddy from Koppal Lok Sabha constituency has left a section of party leaders and workers in the constituency disappointed. With this differences have cropped up between senior leaders in the district unit of the party.

Sitting MP K. Virupakshappa, who was hoping to contest again from the constituency, is said to have decided to keep away from campaigning.

Most of Mr. Virupakshappa’s followers have decided to follow their leader. Such a development is likely to harm the prospects of Mr. Rayareddy. Mr. Virupakshappa, a one-time MLA from Sindhanur Assembly segment in Raichur district, had successfully contested the Lok Sabha elections for the first time from Koppal constituency in the 2004 elections defeating Nagappa Saloni of Bharatiya Janata Party.

Mr. Virupakshappa, who has been identified as a strong leader among the Kuruba community in the State, had thought the party would re-nominate him to contest these elections. But he was shocked when he came to know that the party had nominated Mr. Rayareddy.

According to party sources in the district, the party high command rejected the re-nomination of Mr. Virupakshappa based on a report that he failed to function as expected during the recent Assembly elections. The situation forced the party high command to finalise the candidature of Mr. Rayareddy, who won from the constituency once in the 1991 parliamentary elections and unsuccessfully contested in the 1996 and 1998 elections. Speaking to The Hindu on Wednesday, Mr. Virupakshappa said that he was disappointed by the party’s decision. He said that he could not understand what issues made the party high command reject his plea for re-nomination even as he enjoys the support of his community, which is predominant in the constituency. Being a senior leader in the party, the denial of his candidature was nothing but an insult, he said. Suspecting that Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly M. Mallikarjun Kharge may have something to do with the denial of party ticket to him, Mr. Virupakshappa said that he was not happy with the treatment Mr. Kharge had meted out to him.

Mr. Virupakshappa said that he had decided to maintain a distance from Mr. Rayareddy even though the latter had met him recently requesting him to extend support to him.Speaking to the The Hindu on Wednesday, Mr. Rayareddy said that he was aware that Mr. Virupakshappa was disappointed but everyone had to abide by the party’s decision and work for the success of the official candidates.

He said that he had met Mr. Virupakshappa and had asked him to extend his support. He hoped that things within the party would be set right soon.

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