Kolar LS polls: 5 Congress legislators threaten to resign if ticket is given to Muniyappa’s kin

Minister KH Muniyappa and former Speaker Ramesh Kumar’s factions are at loggerheads over the Kolar Lok Sabha ticket. Both parties have already met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and demanded ticket for their respective candidates.

Minister KH Muniyappa and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. (File)

Bengaluru: Amid the hectic lobbying for the Kolar Lok Sabha ticket in Congress, five legislators have threatened to tender their resignations if the party favours Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa’s family. Kolar MLA Kothur Manjunath said he would be meeting the speaker on Wednesday.

Minister Muniyappa is lobbying for his son-in-law KG Chikkapeddanna and the rival faction led by former Karnataka speaker Ramesh Kumar is demanding a ticket for CM Muniyappa. Former Rajya Sabha member L Hanumanthaiah is also in the race for the ticket.

Speaking with TV9 Kannada, Manjunath said he would meet Speaker UT Khader today and resign if the ‘right’ candidate is not given the ticket.

According to reports, Kolar MLA Kothur Manjunath, Malur MLA KY Nanjegowda, Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar, MLC Anil Kumar and MLC Naseer Ahmed have threatened to resign from their respective posts.

Muniyappa and Ramesh Kumar faction have met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and state party president DK Shivakumar and put forth their demands. Due to hectic lobbying, the state Congress unit has left the decision to the high command.

After reports surfaced that the Congress has finalised the ticket to Muniyappa’s son-in-law, the five legislators from the Kolar district have threatened to resign. Manjunath said that he along with others are leaving for Mangaluru to meet Speaker UT Khader to tender their resignations.

The Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) is likely to meet today to finalise the remaining names from Karnataka and other states for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

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