JOIN USRebels pose a headache for parties
Parties are now facing a situation wherein insiders rather than outside rivals are hurdles to victory. Leaders are trying hard to pacify rebel groups led by aspirants denied tickets.
On Saturday, the deadline to withdraw nominations, most party leaders had a busy time trying to calm down denied aspirants.
Still loyal
The JD(S) is the party with the maximum number of rebels. Ever since former minister and Congress member K Srinivasa Gowda moved to the JD(S), the status and identity crisis that had tormented Gowda in the Congress is now being experienced by JD(S) leaders and aspirants.
That the party leaders chose Gowda and his supporters as candidates for the polls has given rise to a lot of dissatisfaction among other members of the JD(S).
Newcomers preferred
S B Munivenkatappa, Mangamma, N Somanna and Sumathi shifted to the JD(S) along with Srinivasa Gowda just few days ago. However, they have all been given tickets for the polls. JD(S) members who had been hoping for tickets before Srinivasa Gowda joined the party are extremely disappointed with the move.
Although they have practised restraint and not expressed the dissatisfaction publicly, in private they have shared their unhappiness in their own ways.
Their reactions, however, were articulated loudly in Bangarpet. M S Anand, who had hoped for a ticket from Chikka Ankandahalli zilla panchayat constituency wept in public on the day for submission of nominations.
Arun, a supporter of Srinivasa Gowda was given a ticket by the JD(S) leaders for the constituency. Anand has now contested as a rebel independent candidate.
Appeased and not
Since N Somanna was given a ticket from Narasapura zilla panchayat constituency, aspirant K R Rajarajeshwari too submitted her nomination as an independent candidate. The party succeeded in pacifying her by appointing her the district unit chief general secretary of the JD(S).
In a surprising move in Holur constituency, M Srinivasan, who had submitted his papers with the b-form as an opponent to JD(S) official candidate S B Munivenkatappa, has withdrawn his nomination. His anger that he was not made the official candidate of the party could not be quelled.
The dissatisfaction regarding the selection of the new district unit president of the BJP has continued till the elections. Mohan Kumar and M P Srinivasa Gowda have submitted nominations as independent candidates from Chikka Ankandahalli.
In Huttur zilla panchayat constituency, Abbani Nagaraj had submitted his nomination as an independent candidate, but was persuaded by party leaders to withdraw. Urubagilu Srinivas, however, decided to join the Congress, on being denied a ticket.
Not much trouble
The Congress, so far, has had no major problem with rebel candidates. Although candidates in Vadagur zilla panchayat constituency, Marjenahalli and Manighatta have to contest against former partymates, such instances have been far and few in between.
Many aspirants who were nominated as independents could hardly be contacted even on telephones by party leaders.
In addition, only a few of the candidates agreed to withdraw their nominations, as instructed by the party leaders on the last day of withdrawal. Many others have stood firm and will be contesting the elections.
Even before worrying about the outcome of the elections, the parties have an important task of pacifying angered rebels.