Karnataka Assembly Polls: Congress MLA Akhanda Srinivas Murthy Resigns After Denial Of Ticket

Congress leader Akhanda Srinivas Murthy resigned as MLA from Pulakeshinagar constituency after his name did not appear in the first three lists of candidates.

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New Delhi: Congress leader Akhanda Srinivas Murthy on Sunday resigned as MLA after he was denied a ticket to contest the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka. The Congress leader was an MLA from the Pulikeshinagar Assembly constituency. The disgruntled Congress leader went to Sirsi and met Speaker Vishweshwar Hegade Kageri and submitted his resignation letter."I have not been given a ticket and three lists of the Congress party are out. I have suffered enough and I am fed up with this", he said that he has come to resign as an MLA.

He further stated that it should be understood that the party has not given him a ticket so far. The people of his constituency ask him every day. In his constituency, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians, all are united, he added. Srinivas Murthy expressed his anguish over the denial of the ticket and said that he was being treated unfairly.

"I have not discussed this with any other party leaders. I have decided to resign after discussing it with the leaders in the constituency. I have decided to contest as an independent candidate. The leaders of the constituency said that they will discuss with the supporters and take decisions," the Congress leader said.

Karnataka is slated to go to Assembly polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. With less than a month to go for Karnataka Assembly polls, the Congress on Saturday released its third list of 43 candidates.

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah was not named from the Kolar constituency, with the grand old party, instead, fielding Kothur G Manjunath. The Congress declared 124 candidates in its first list and another 42 in the second list for the State Assembly elections.

Jagadish Shettar Resigns From BJP

Disgruntled former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar resigned as MLA on Sunday after expressing anguish over denial of ticket to contest in the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections, and launched an attack on the BJP, saying those who had built the party are being thrown out of their 'own house'.

Shortly after the 67-year-old six-time MLA, who had also said he would quit the party, tendered his resignation, Karnataka BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa, slammed him for deserting the J P Nadda-led outfit, and said people would not pardon him for his move. Shettar, an influential Lingayat leader from north Karnataka, and sitting MLA from Hubli-Dharwad Central, said some people with their vested interests had hatched a conspiracy to not field him this time.

(With PTI Inputs)