Dissidence: Congress warns action against Sullia workers

Mangaluru: Even as dissidence over the Congress ticket in Sullia grows, the party has warned that action will be taken against those who hold meets against the KPCC decision. The KPCC has already finalised the name of G Krishnappa for Sullia, which is reserved for SC category. However, well-wishers of ticket aspirant HM Nandakumar have decided to hold a mass convention of party workers to demand the ticket for their leader, at Ninthikallu in Sullia on April 9. Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee (DCC) president K Harish Kumar stated that the convention being planned by Nandakumar Abhimani Balaga has nothing to do with the Congress. “This is an unauthorised meet. Party leaders and workers should not attend this programme. KPCC president DK Shivakumar and working president Saleem Ahmed have directed us to initiate disciplinary action against those Congress workers who participate in the meeting,” Kumar said. Nandakumar Abhimani Balaga convener and former president of Kadaba Block Congress Committee Balakrishna Balleri told reporters here on Tuesday that the well-wishers of Nandakumar want to impress upon senior leaders on party workers’ aspirations in Sullia. “We want the party to change the candidature of G Krishnappa and announce the name of Nandakumar to contest from Sullia. We want to strengthen the Congress in Sullia and the meeting is a step in this direction. We are not against the party. The high command of the party should understand the ground reality and change its decision to issue the ticket to a winnable candidate,” Balleri said. Expressing hopes that the political atmosphere in Sullia is favourable for the Congress, Balleri said the constituency has not seen a Congress MLA for the last 30 years. “Voters are craving for a change now. Nandakumar has been touring the constituency to organise the party at the grassroot levels in the past four years. He has a strong base in the constituency and has won hearts of people,” he said. Meanwhile, Sullia Block Congress president PC Jayarama had asserted that the high command’s decision to field G Krishnappa from Sullia is final.