In a blow to the ruling Congress, senior party leader V R Sudarshan resigned as Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) vice president late on Saturday evening.

According to party sources, Sudarshan resigned as he was not considered for a ticket to contest the May 12 polls.

Sudarshan, a former Legislative Council chairperson, informed KPCC president G Parameshwara of his resignation in a text message, party sources said.

He was an aspirant to contest the upcoming polls from the Kolar Assembly constituency, source said. However, it is learnt that the Kolar ticket may go to either K Srinivas Gowda, who is said to be Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's follower, or retired IAS officer Syed Zameer Pasha, who apparently is former Union minister K H Muniyappa's pick. Sudarshan is expected to tender his resignation formally in writing in a day or two, sources added.