Cong rebel candidates refuse to back out

Congress rebel candidates in Bengaluru Urban and Dakshina Kannada local body constituencies for the coming Legislative Council elections have refused to withdraw from the fray despite efforts by their party to pacify them.

While sitting MLC Dayanand Reddy filed his nomination papers as independent candidate from Bengaluru Urban constituencies, former party MP Jayaprakash Hegde and party leader Bhujang Shetty, who have already filed their nomination from Dakshina Kannada, refused to budge from their stand. The party has fielded M Narayanaswamy and Pratapchandra Shetty from Bengaluru Urban and Dakshina Kannada seats respectively.

“There is no change in my stand. I have already started my election campaign and I will go ahead with it. I have no plans to withdraw from the fray. Instead of trying to convince me, they (the leaders) can convince him (Pratapchandra Shetty) to withdraw the nomination papers,” Hegde said.

Sources in the party said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president G Parameshwara have been making efforts to convince the rebels. Siddaramaiah spoke to party leader in Mandya, Ravindra Srikantaiah, and convinced him to work for the party candidate Shivarame Gowda.

Energy Minister D K Shivakumar has been tasked with the responsibility to pacifying Dayananda Reddy and make him withdraw the nomination papers, the sources added. Wednesday was the last day for filing nomination papers. Scrutiny of nominations will be taken up on Thursday and December 12 is the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers.