The run-up to the Karnataka assembly elections is exposing the inherent flaws and wicked schemes of the Congress Party. The plot to divide Hindus by giving a separate religion status to the Lingayats is already out in the open. Now reports have emerged indicating that nepotism remains at the core of the party. Congress leaders have proposed the names of their close relatives in the list of candidates for the 224 assembly seats.
The decision to hand out tickets to relatives of existing MLAs and MLCs has not gone down well with other party members. So, Rahul Gandhi will now decide whether they will get tickets or not in a couple of days. A Congress party member termed it as the ‘height of nepotism’, which is quite accurate.
Isn’t this an excellent move to curb nepotism? Rahul Gandhi, who himself is a fourth generation dynast, will decide on whether other dynasts will get tickets or not. As ironic as it may sound, this is the condition of the Congress Party in Karnataka.
As per a list which was accessed by News18, there were over 15 ministers eyeing tickets for their children or close relatives. This list includes the son of present CM Siddaramaiah, Home Minister R Ramalinga Reddy’s daughter, Kolar MP KH Muniyappa’s daughter, Margaret Alva’s son, late B Shankarananda’s son-in-law and several others. It appears that senior party leaders are at loggerheads with each other to secure tickets for their kith and kin.
The selection process of candidates for the Congress took an ugly turn when the former chief minister M Veerappa Moily openly criticized the current PWD minister. His tweet hinted at a possible nexus between road contractors and the PWD minister. It is speculated that he revealed this information because H C Mahadevappa, the present PWD minister, was opposing the candidature of Moily’s son.
The leaders in the Karnataka Congress are also pushing to have seats of their own choice. CM Siddaramaiah wants his son to contest from Varuna in Mysore to ensure an easy victory, Ramalinga Reddy wants his daughter to fight from Jayanagar, and Margaret Alva’s is eyeing the Sirsi seat in Uttara Kannada district. A few other leaders are also lobbying for their kith and kin to get seats from constituencies that could be won easily.
While this raises a serious question of the existence of democracy within the Congress party, CM Siddaramaiah said that there was nothing wrong in this as long as the candidates could win. It is ironic that a party that claims to be a champion of democracy lacks the same within itself. To top it all, Rahul Gandhi will decide the fate of other dynasts. One can only wonder where he would be without dynastic politics.
It is no secret that the Congress Party is forcefully propelling Rahul Gandhi as a leader. In spite of other competent leaders in the party, nobody has ever received any opportunity on merit. The most recent example of nepotism in Congress was the elections of Congress President, where nobody else was given a chance. Notably, Shehzad Poonawalla had openly criticized this nepotism that is rampant within the Congress Party before quitting.
It is baffling that the Congress workers in Karnataka have to put their trust on a leader who has benefited himself from the nepotism within the party. The final list of the candidates is expected to be released on April 15th.