‘Out of funds’ Congress “selling tickets” for Karnataka polls, claim some party workers

BENGALARU: Even as the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the dates of the State Assembly polls in Karnataka, several senior Congress workers who have been with the party for the last 30 years and more and were expecting to get a ticket  have come  out in the open against what they termed ‘the policy of the party of selling tickets’ rather than giving them to party loyalists.

Speaking to this website on condition of anonymity, a senior Congress worker from Bengaluru who has been with the party for the last 36 years said that he was denied a ticket (in another constituency), which was given to another leader who had joined the party less than two years ago.

Sources in the Karnataka Congress said the party’s funds and financial situation is in dire straits and when it comes to election funds, it is desperately looking for ‘investors’.

Against this backdrop, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday charged the State Congress chief DK Shivakumar of luring BJP MLAs and offering them tickets in constituencies. Sources claimed there is a catch or a secret condition though – any BJP MLA who wants to switch sides and expects a ticket, is expected to fund not just his own campaign expenses, but also support the state party fund pool with some generous contributions.

Congress leaders flatly denied this allegation and claimed the BJP was spreading falsehood as it was riding a sticky wicket. However, reliable internal sources in the State Congress unit on condition of anonymity confirmed that the party is lacking adequate funding to take on the massive might of the BJP, which is in power at the Centre, with an almost inexhaustible chest of funds.

The Congress in Karnataka is trying to lure “rich” candidates who also have a good chance of winning, as it is almost unable to fund ‘good’ but ‘poor’ candidates, claimed sources within the Karnataka unit of the party.

Speaking to reporters, the CM said, “KPCC President DK Shivakumar since the last two to three days has been making phone calls to our MLAs in 100 constituencies where they are yet to announce candidates. He is stating that if you (BJP MLAs) come (to Congress), we will give you the ticket,” Bommai alleged.

Speaking in Belagavi, he said, “Congress leaders are frustrated, they don’t have proper candidates at all, so he (Shivakumar) is calling our party people. This shows that as a matter of fact, the Congress party is bankrupt.”

Congress announced its first list of 124 candidates on March 25 and is yet to announce tickets for the balance 100 seats. Karnataka has a total of 224 assembly constituencies. Today the ECI announced the polls dates and said the Karnataka elections will be held on May 10.