Dk meets miffed Cong leader Muniyappa

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT
Bengaluru

In a surprise development , KPCC President D.K.Shivakumar rushed to the residence of former Kolar MP K.H. Muniyappa Wednesday night and prevailed upon him not to leave the Congress Party. Following differences of opinion with Srinivasapura MLA K.R. Rameshkumar who he holds responsible for his defeat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Muniyappa had threatened to quit the Congress Party and join Janata Dal (Secular).

Muniyappa had openly complained to state Congress leaders about the role of former Speaker Ramesh in the previous general elections in which he lost to BJP candidate S. Muniswamy who was new to the constituency.

To teach a lesson to Muniyappa, a group of Congress leaders allegedly worked for Muniswamy that led to the shocking defeat of the old warhorse of the Congress Party. Till recently, no State Congress leader had bothered to convince Muniyappa, a strong Scheduled Caste leader of Kolar, not to take any hasty decision.

So, the former Union minister rung up JD(S) supremo and former PM, H.D.Deve Gowda to express his desire to join his party. Gowda who is desperately looking for mass leaders reportedly offered him the Kolar JD(S) ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Soon after media reports about Muniyappa’s plan to join the JD(S), AICC president Sonia Gandhi is said to be have told AICC General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala to issue directions to Shivakumar to immediately meet Muniyappa and address his grievances. It was only after the diktat from the high command that the PCC President, along with Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council B.K.Hariprasad and senior Congress leader, H.K.Patil reached Muniyappa’s house and requested him not to take any hasty decision as the party was ready to resolve all issues in the Kolar Congress unit.

In fact, Muniyappa has been very close to Sonia Gandhi and was union minister several times in the past. The Congress had never lost the Lok Sabha seat in Kolar in the past and for the first time, Muniyappa tasted defeat in the 2019 LS polls.

Since then, the former MP had been demanding action against all those who worked against him, mainly Ramesh Kumar. Sources said the whole of the Kolar Congress unit is up in arms against Muniyappa for allegedly neglecting the development of the district and for promoting his family members in politics. They said Muniyappa told Shivakumar that he needs time to think over staying back in the Congress Party and urged the KPCC president to take action against Ramesh Kumar.