Several supporters of former Minister and Congress MLA Tanveer Sait gathered outside his house in Mysuru on Tuesday soon after his desire to retire from electoral politics became public.
High drama prevailed outside his house in Udayagiri with supporters bringing pressure on Mr. Sait to change his mind and contest the coming elections from Narasimharaja Assembly constituency.
Mr. Sait told reporters that he had written a confidential letter to the Congress president and other senior leaders of the party in December 2022 expressing his desire retire from electoral politics citing health reasons. The Congress MLA said he had been finding it difficult to discharge his responsibilities as he had not yet completely recovered from the attack on his life in November 2019.
Former Minister and Congress MLA Tanveer Sait speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
Senior leaders of the party including Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah had reportedly cautioned him against disclosing the letter or taking any hasty decision, but to wait for the party leadership’s decision.
The letter to the Congress leadership had somehow been leaked to the media recently, he said forcing him to speak about the same publicly.
Mr Sait, who had been elected from Narasimharaja five times in a row since 2002 after the demise of his father Azeez Sait, had submitted his application for a ticket to contest from Narasimharaja in the 2023 elections after the KPCC invited applications in September 2022.
Asked by the reporters if his application for the party ticket submitted in September 2022 or his letter seeking retirement from electoral politics was his stand, Mr. Sait said he had applied for a party ticket as a disciplined soldier of the party when the leadership called for applications. But, he said he had sought retirement from electoral politics on account of health reasons and thought it fit to seek permission from the party leadership for the same.
Mr. Sait said he was in touch with All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala, who has also asked him against taking any hasty decision.
Eventually, Mr. Sait said he would abide by whatever decision the party leadership takes. “I am committed to any decision that the party takes in the regard”, he said.
Meanwhile, Mysuru City Congress Committee President R. Murthy, who was also present, told reporters that there is no doubt that Mr. Sait will be the party’s candidate from Narasimharaja in the coming elections.
Already, the party has taken a decision to field all the sitting MLAs. “As Mr. Sait is also a sitting MLA, the party choosing somebody else as the candidate in Narasimharaja does not arise”, he said.
