Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara on Saturday made it clear that there was no rule in the Congress that children Union Ministers M. Mallikarjun Kharge, K.H. Muniyappa and K. Rahman Khan or even the former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh should not ask for a ticket to contest in the coming Legislative Assembly elections.
He said that there was some delay in announcing such names and confusion would be cleared while the list for the remaining 47 seats was decided within two or three days by AICC president Sonia Gandhi. There was no rule that only one from the family should apply or get ticket. In other States, children of Ministers had been given ticket and but there was only some loud thinking on those lines, he added.
Priyank Kharge has sought ticket to contest from Chittapur, Mr. Muniyappa`s daughter Roopa Shashidhar, Mr. Khan`s son Mansoor Ali Khan and Mr. Singh`s son Ajay Singh from K.G.F., Jayanagar and Jewargi respectively.
In the case of MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa, who was insisting Davangere south should be allocated to him, he said it was delayed due to some balancing work.
Congress heavyweights, who have been moving heaven and earth to get ticket for their children, were understandably upset with the proposal.
For a party widely acknowledged as the fountainhead of dynastic politics in the country, the party’s statement was considered uncharacteristic.
A source close to Mr. Kharge said the decision to okay his son Priyank has been held up and it would be cleared after the party president Sonia Gandhi returns from United States.
The source pointed out that Mr. Kharge saw no hitches in his son getting the ticket as he had lost by a margin of 900 votes in a byelection he contested from Chittapur.
