The Congress party appears to have finally closed its doors on the former Minister Narasimha Naik, who after resigning from the Bharatiya Janata Party, was aspiring for Congress ticket to contest Assembly polls.
Camped in New Delhi
The two-time MLA from Surpur Assembly constituency, Mr. Naik, who was camping in New Delhi with the hope of getting a favourable response from the Congress leadership on his plea for admission and ticket to contest from the Surpur Assembly constituency, returned empty handed to Yadgir on Tuesday.
Returns
Speaking to presspersons in Yadgir, Mr. Naik claimed that he had gone to New Delhi on an invitation from the Congress leaders, but “for the reasons best known to them, the Congress party had not decided on the candidate to be fielded in Surpur”.
Mr. Naik scotched the rumours that Union Labour and Employment Minister M. Mallikarjun Kharge had opposed his entry into the Congress party.
“In fact, Mr. Kharge had offered me ticket to contest from the Raichur Lok Sabha constituency, which I declined to accept for the simple reason that I do not want to leave Surpur Assembly constituency now”.
He also declined to comment on the charge that he was an opportunistic politician and remarked that if “I was an opportunistic politician, I would not have got so many offers from political parties to join hands with them”.
Quit BJP
On why he left the BJP, Mr. Naik said that although he wanted to leave the BJP long back, leaders of the party had requested him to stay back in the party and after the State Budget was presented by Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar “I decided to quit from the Ministry and party”.
“I was facing several problems and troubles during my tenure as a Minister”, Mr. Naik said, but did not elaborate on it.
Next move
Meanwhile, the supporters of Mr. Naik confided that a final decision on his political future would be decided after holding meetings with his followers on Tuesday and Wednesday at Kodekal and Hunsagi in Surpur taluk. As per the indications available, Mr Naik is interested in joining the Karnataka Janata Paksha or the Janata Dal (Secular).
