Dharwad: It seems like there is no end to the confusions surrounding the Congress Lok Sabha candidates. After changing several candidates at the last minute for the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies, where voting to be held on April 18, the Congress is now struggling to finalise its candidates for those 14 constituencies going for election on April 23. Some of the Congress leaders have already filed their nominations as independents, as a show of rebellion. Now, in Dharwad, it looks like former minister Vinay Kulkarni is planning to join the ranks of the rebels.
According to sources in the Congress party, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) wants to field Shakir Sanadi, son of former MP I G Sanadi, under the minority quota. Irked by this, Vinay Kulkarni warned that if the party declines him a ticket, he will contest as an independent candidate.
It can be recalled that, in the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka state government, Vinay Kulkarni was the mines and geology minister.
Meanwhile, on social media, Vinay Kulkarni’s supporters have alleged that KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao and Dharwad district in-charge minister R V Deshpande are trying to decline a ticket to Kulkarni to ensure the easy victory of Pralhad Joshi, a brahmin leader. “Kulkarni can pose a tough competition to Joshi as he belongs to the Lingayat community. But Dinesh and Deshpande don’t want this to happen,” they alleged.