Congress announces candidate for Kolar Lok Sabha seat, ends deadlock

Bengaluru: The Congress party has finally announced its candidate for the Kolar Lok Sabha constituency, resolving a major issue that had been brewing. While the party had previously announced candidates for 27 Lok Sabha seats, it had delayed the announcement for Kolar due to internal factional disputes. Minister K H Muniyappa and former minister KR Ramesh Kumar factions were at odds, each advocating for their own candidate.

The Congress party leadership intervened to resolve the deadlock, naming KV Goutam, son of former mayor Vijaykumar, as the party’s candidate for the constituency. Muniyappa had pushed for his son-in-law to receive the ticket, but Ramesh Kumar’s faction vehemently opposed this choice. The situation escalated when five MLAs threatened to resign if Muniyappa’s relative was nominated.

On Friday, the party announced candidates for three other seats: Sunil Bose, son of Minister HC Mahadevappa, for Chamarajanagar; Raksha Ramaiah for Chikkaballapura; and E Tukaram, MLA from Sanduru, for the Ballari Lok Sabha constituency.