Mangaluru (The Hindu): Dissidence in the ruling Congress came to the fore on Monday with the re-nomination of sitting Member of Legislative Council K. Pratapchandra Shetty to the forthcoming Council polls, after two prominent leaders challenged the party to field a candidate who has really contributed to the growth of the party.

“Only after Mr. Shetty wrote to his electorate that he would not contest in the forthcoming polls, then party leaders persuaded me to be the party candidate. In the 43-year political career, I did not aspire for any public office, including MLA or MLC,” said Harikrishna Bantwal, general secretary of Dakshina Kannada District Congress, who has been a staunch follower of leader B. Janardhana Poojary since 1982.

Launching a tirade against Mr. Shetty, Mr. Bantwal told presspersons here on Monday that the former had been a leaders’ representative. In his 12 years’ stint as an MLC, he did not visit a single gram panchayat or local body in Dakshina Kannada, including 164 ordinary meetings of Mangaluru City Corporation, whose members were his voters, he alleged.

“I have not made any money out of public life and have enough personal resources to sustain livelihood. I also do not know to please the leaders and was under the belief that the party would recognise my leadership qualities. However, my beliefs stand shattered with Mr. Shetty’s selection,” he said.

On the other hand, K. Jayaprakash Hegde, former Karnataka Minister and former Lok Sabha Member from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, filed his nomination papers as a ‘Congress’ candidate here on Monday. Mr. Hegde said if the party reconsiders Mr. Shetty’s renomination and decides to field Mr. Bantwal, he would reconsider his decision. Mr. Bantwal too voiced the same words in the press conference.

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