Bengaluru, 01 Oct (H.S.):

Infighting in the district Congress has intensified, with Chintamani MLA and former minister Dr M.C. Sudhakar and Chikkaballapur MLA Pradeep Eshwar trading challenges amid demands to deny Eshwar a ticket in the 2028 Assembly elections.

Eshwar, who once described Sudhakar as his political mentor and elder brother, has responded to his rivals through a Facebook post declaring that he is a “self-made man” who knows how to fight his opponents.

The confrontation escalated after a delegation of Congress leaders and workers from Chikkaballapur, led by Sudhakar, met Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president B.K. Hariprasad in Bengaluru. They complained about Eshwar’s alleged unilateral functioning and urged the leadership against renominating him.

Sudhakar’s supporters accused Eshwar of ignoring longstanding party workers, failing to respond to their calls and remaining inactive in local body election activities. Their criticism also followed his declaration that he aspired to become chief minister within 25 years.

Responding amid the dispute, Eshwar raised allegations that Dalits had been denied entry to the Anjaneya temple at Uyyalawadi in Chintamani taluk. He said the deputy commissioner and tahsildar had replied to his letter seeking intervention.

Eshwar clarified that he cancelled a press conference in Chintamani on the chief minister’s instructions, rather than under pressure from an influential politician.

Referring to the burning of Dalit families at Kambalapalli, he asserted that political pressure would not silence him and challenged his opponents to a fight.

The rivalry has earlier flashpoints. Eshwar’s camp alleged that Sudhakar diverted approximately Rs 3 crore intended for Chikkaballapur to Chintamani. His supporters also blamed Sudhakar for the cancellation of an associate’s appointment to the Chikkaballapur-Kolar milk union during Siddaramaiah’s tenure.

The competing allegations have brought longstanding differences between the two legislators into public view, exposing divisions within the district Congress ahead of the next Assembly election.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman