Karnataka: Congress still a divided house on Tumkur LS seat, sitting MP files nomination

Bengaluru, Mar 25: Local Congress leaders are still up in arms against former prime minister and and JDS chief HD Deve Gowda contesting Lok Sabha elections from Tumkur.

Congress MP SP Muddahanumegowda filed his nimination papers as a Congress candidate in defiance against Congress-JDS alliance deal.

After filing nomination, he said, "I have filed my nomination as a Congress candidate. I request to my leader and leaders of JD(S) to reconsider their decision and to give the ticket to me only. I am confident that I will get back the seat."

Earlier, Congress leader from Tumkur KN Rajanna told reporters that sitting MP Muddahanumegowda and himself are filing niminations against the Congress-JDS seat sharing deal.

He said, "Me and SP Muddahanumegowda are filing nominations today. We request Deve Gowda to contest from Bengaluru North instead of Tumkur. If Deve Gowda wants to contest from here, let him contest on Congress ticket, we all will vote for him."

However, Deputy CM Dr. G Parameshwara said, "Tumkur was not be given to JD(S) but the party high command decided to give it. We never expected that Deve Gowda ji will contest from Tumkur. Now, that he has decided to contest, naturally we will support him."

In the 2014 Indian General Election, he defeated the sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate G.S. Basavarajaih by 74,041 votes.

According to the seat sharing arrangement, of the total 28 seats, Congress will contest on 20 and JD(S) on 8 seats. After , JDS ceded Bengaluru North to the Congress, the JD (S) will content on 7 seats. The JDS supremo has ceded Hassan seat that he had been representing to his grandson Prajwal Revanna.