The Dalit Mahasabha in Mysuru has accused the Congress and BJP of discriminating against the Dalit leaders in distribution of tickets to contest for the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday, March 22, Mahasabha president S. Rajesh said that the Congress had announced tickets to the relatives and family members of Ministers in Karnataka all of whom belong to the upper caste.
Mr. Rajesh said the Congress has issued tickets to children of five State Cabinet Ministers besides relatives of other senior leaders. None of the Ministers preferred to resign from their posts to contest the polls but insisted that the ticket be issued to their children or relatives, he added.
But the same party has put on hold the demand for issuing the party ticket for Sunil Bose, son of Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa, to contest from Chamarajanagar. Similarly, the Congress was dithering on issuing the B-form for son-in-law of K.H. Muniyappa to contest from Kolar, said Mr. Rajesh.
Alleging discrimination, Mr. Rajesh pointed out that both Mahadevappa and Muniyappa are prominent Dalit leaders, and delay in accommodating their demand for a ticket to their relatives amounts to blatant discrimination as similar demand by other ministers have been accommodated, he added.
The BJP also came under flak for not issuing a ticket to the son-in-law or the son of senior leader V. Srinivas Prasad. But in the case of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, both his sons have been accorded important positions, said Mr. Rajesh.
While all political parties want the Dalit votes and woo them, there is a form of ‘’untouchability’’ in the allocation of tickets, said Mr. Rajesh. There was disgruntlement within the Congress on the issue though it is not being aired openly, he added.
Kiran Kumar, secretary of Dalit Panthers and other dalit leaders were present.
