MANGALURU: Well-wishers of Congress aspirant HM Nandakumar have decided to hold a mass convention of party workers to demand ticket for their leader, on April 9. The KPCC has already finalised the name of G Krishnappa for Sullia constituency, reserved for Scheduled Castes. Sullia block Congress president PC Jayarama said that the high command’s decision to field Krishnappa, is final.
Jayarama said the party will put all efforts for the victory of the candidate announced by the KPCC. “G Krishnappa has been selected to contest from Sullia. The Congress block committee in Sullia has approved it. We are not interfering in the decision of the party high command,” he said.
On a section of party workers demanding ticket for Nandakumar, Jayarama said that the party high command will find a solution to the issue. “Only the party high command has discretionary powers to decide candidates. I am sure that the party will resolve the confusion,” he added.
Congress workers, who support Nandakumar, have already held two dissidence meetings in Sullia and Kadaba. They demand that Nandakumar, who is also a KPCC member, should be given ticket to contest from Sullia. A large number of party workers from Sullia had held a protest in front of the District Congress Committee (DCC) office in Mangaluru in this regard on March 29. Further, a delegation of Nandakumar’s supporters also met KPCC president DK Shivakumar, former chief minister Siddaramaiah and AICC general secretary and party in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala in Bengaluru, to put forth their demand.
A supporter of Nandakumar said that Nandakumar Abhimani Balaga will hold a mass convention at Ninthikallu in Sullia on April 9. The convention will begin at 3pm, he said.