To save Home Minister from embarrassment, Congress plans sacrifice for rebel MLA

In a calculated move to spare Dr G Parameshwar, Karnataka's Home Minister, from embarrassment in the 2018 elections, the Congress has decided that he will not contest from his home turf of Tumkur. 

It should be noted that Parameshwar had suffered a humiliating defeat in the last elections. 

With the JDS gaining ground in Tumkur, sources in the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee confirmed that Parameshwar would contest from Pulakeshinagar. 

The JDS rebel Srinivas Murty, who had originally supported the Congress in the Rajya Sabha elections, will be made a sacrificial lamb.

Pulakeshinagar Assembly seat is dominated by Muslims and also has strong Dalit and Tamil Christian populations.

"This assembly seat was once a Congress fort. B Basavalingappa, a Dalit strongman won twice from here, and after his death, his son Prasanna Kumar won in 2008. But in 2013, JDS candidate Akhanda Srinivas Murthy won. 

Murthy supported the Congress in Rajya Sabha elections by cross voting to help the Congress candidate last year. After this episode, JDS suspended him from the party along with eight other MLAs. 

All the MLA's are set to join Congress hoping to get a ticket, but for Murthy, he will have to sacrifice his seat as the party wants to give a safe area to senior leader Parameshwar," a source told Asianet Newsable.

After hearing about this from Asianet Newsable, Akhanda Srinivas Murthy expressed surprise. He opined that this might not be true as JDS leaders are all set to join Congress for the promise of seats.

"I have earned this position with hard-work and carved a niche for myself in Pulakeshinagar. I will also give a tough fight to get a ticket to whichever party I go. If not, I may also contest as independent," he said. 

• Congress