“Do you have common sense?”
This was AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala’s question to the party’s state president D K Shivakumar over the choice of candidate for the November 3 Sira bypoll, according to a hush-hush conversation that was leaked on Thursday.
The Congress has announced former minister T B Jayachandra as its candidate for the Sira bypoll, but it now appears that Surjewala did not approve of this and wanted the ticket to be given to Dr C M Rajesh Gowda, who has now joined the BJP.
This conversation happened on Sunday between Shivakumar and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah at the party’s office during the induction of some local Sira leaders. By then, the state unit had recommended Jayachandra’s candidature to the high command, which was yet to decide.
The conversation was caught on camera and aired by news channels.
“You should’ve given (ticket) to Rajesh Gowda and not Jayachandra. Since 1978, Jayachandra has contested nine times. Again, you’ve recommended his name. Do you have common sense?” Shivakumar is heard saying, quoting Surjewala.
“I told him that we discussed it and that we can’t (do the election) without (Jayachandra). Still, he said we should reconsider,” Shivakumar says.
Siddaramiah points out that Gowda had already joined the BJP. “Yes, I told (Surjewala) that he has joined the BJP."
"Last time, he tried for the ticket with JD(S) and not with us,” Shivakumar replies.
“He was asking for the ticket with the JD(S) and the BJP. For namesake, he asked with us also,” Siddaramaiah says. “Yes, yes, I told him that. But, now that he has seen our fax, he said we should reconsider and get back to him,” Shivakumar says.
The Congress high command formally announced Jayachandra’s name on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Gowda is likely to be the saffron party’s candidate.
Speaking to reporters, Siddaramaiah clarified that the Sira ticket choice was consensual. “(Surjewala) asked if there were other candidates. I said Jayachandra is a senior leader who has been a legislator since 1978. About Rajesh Gowda, I said he wasn’t in our party. He asked for the ticket and I told him, we can’t give it to him, because of Jayachandra,” he said.