The Congress party in Karnataka is experiencing pressure from rebel candidates in a handful of constituencies.

The Congress is facing challenges in pacifying several aspirants who have turned into rebels after failing to make it to the list of 166 party candidates announced for the Karnataka Assembly elections. The release of a second list on April 7 with 42 candidates sparked surprise when Kadur seat aspirant Y S V Datta was omitted. Datta, a former aide to former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, had switched from the Janata Dal (Secular) after receiving an assurance on a ticket but lost out to B S Anand. Following a meeting with supporters, Datta announced that he would stand as an independent candidate, highlighting the differences within the party, given that Datta was brought over by former chief minister Siddaramaiah. Meanwhile, the Congress has collected a deposit of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 5,000 as the application fee from ticket aspirants.

The Chitradurga constituency has witnessed a triangular fight between former MLC Raghu Achar, K C Veerendra, and S K Basavarajan for a Congress ticket. With Veerendra managing to secure the ticket, Achar has expressed his displeasure with the high command and knocked on the doors of the JD(S). Basavarajan has also announced that he will be a rebel candidate. In Kittur, D B Inamdar, who sought a ticket for his son or daughter-in-law, may work against Babasaheb Patil, Laxmi Hebbalkar’s aide.

In Kalaghatagi, the Congress ticket went to former minister Santosh Lad, but former MLC Nagaraj Chabbi has joined the BJP, although it is unclear if the saffron party has assured him of a ticket. The Congress has also announced former minister Iqbal Ansari for Gangavathi, a decision that has not gone down well with senior leader H R Srinath, who claimed he was promised a ticket by D K Shivakumar.

Overall, the Congress is facing multiple challenges as it tries to balance its candidate selection process and placate aspirants who feel aggrieved at being left off the list. With several aspirants threatening to become rebel candidates and contest against the party, the Congress will need to work quickly to resolve these differences and maintain party unity ahead of the upcoming elections.