Bengaluru, March 20 (NationPress) The internal discord within the Congress party intensified on Friday when ticket hopeful Samarth Shamanur submitted his nomination for the Davanagere South Assembly seat, even though the party has yet to make an official candidate announcement.

This unexpected move by the influential Shamanur family has caught party officials off guard. Samarth is the grandson of the late Shamanur Shivashankarappa, a prominent Congress figure who previously held this seat.

It is important to remember that the late Shamanur Shivashankarappa served as the President of the Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha. His son, S.S. Mallikarjun, currently serves as the Minister for Mines, Geology, and Horticulture, while his daughter-in-law, Prabha Mallikarjun, represents the Davanagere Lok Sabha constituency as a Congress MP.

Samarth filed his nomination papers accompanied by his mother, MP Prabha Mallikarjun.

In response to this development in Bengaluru, Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D.K. Shivakumar stated that he is not yet informed of the details and will investigate the situation.

While speaking to the press, Samarth mentioned that he arrived to file his nomination in his grandfather’s car and signed the documents in his grandfather’s room. “We aim to uphold his legacy. Visitors to our home would always first go to my grandfather’s room, but now it feels empty,” he remarked.

He expressed his confidence about securing the party ticket this time, citing his prior experience in election campaigns and strong ties with party members. “Just as the people of this constituency supported and blessed my grandfather, I believe they will also support me,” he added.

Prabha Mallikarjun emphasized that despite his youth, Samarth is dynamic and has already approached the party leadership for a ticket. She highlighted that he has gained valuable experience by working alongside his grandfather during elections.

Additionally, she noted that Minister S.S. Mallikarjun has attended a meeting with AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala. “An announcement regarding the party candidate is expected either later today or tomorrow,” she stated.

Pointing out that filing a nomination is a personal right, she remarked that various candidates, including those from minority communities, have also submitted their nominations. “Ultimately, the party's official candidate will be determined,” she added.

On the other hand, the BJP has unveiled its candidates for the by-elections in the Bagalkote and Davanagere South Assembly seats just in time for Ugadi, setting the stage for competitive political battles ahead of the elections on April 9.

In Davanagere South, the BJP has nominated Srinivas T. Dasakariyappa, representing the Valmiki (ST) community. This decision is perceived as a strategic effort to consolidate Scheduled Tribe votes, which are crucial in this constituency.

The seat, previously held by the late senior Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa, became vacant after his passing, and the Congress is still working to finalize its candidate amid internal conflicts.

The Congress faces the challenge of managing a multitude of aspirants, as several leaders have shown interest in contesting.

Long regarded as a Congress bastion, Davanagere South is likely to see a fierce contest between the two major parties. The BJP’s choice to field Srinivas Dasakariyappa is also viewed as an attempt to maintain social and caste balances in the area.

In Davanagere, Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan has called for the ticket to be awarded to a candidate from the Muslim community, while Minister for Mines, Geology, and Horticulture S.S. Mallikarjun has opposed this suggestion. The two ministers recently engaged in a heated discussion over this matter.

Leaders from the Muslim community have indicated that they possess a significant voter base of approximately 85,000, and if a candidate from their community is not nominated, they will retaliate against the Congress.