The former Member of Parliament and Veerashaiva Lingayat leader Manjunath Kunnur announced in Hubballi on Monday that he will contest from Dharwad Lok Sabha Constituency as independent candidate as he has been denied ticket by the Congress.
Addressing presspersons in Hubballi on Monday, Mr. Kunnur said that he sought ticket from the Congress, which, however, has denied his request.
“My well-wishers, friends and some of the religious heads feel that injustice has been meted out to me. Due to their pressure and after assessing the political scenario, I have decided to contest as independent candidate,” he said.
To a query, Mr. Kunnur clarified that he is not entering the fray at the behest of any religious head but has decided to contest as his well-wishers, friends and electorate wanted him to do so.
“This will be my last election and I have taken this decision after due deliberations. Shiggaon and Kundgol constituencies were part of Dharwad South Constituency earlier and I have a good rapport with the people of Dharwad district and several leaders both from the BJP and the Congress have endorsed my decision,” he said.
On Fakir Dingaleshwar Swami’s outburst against Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and reported ill-treatment and snubbing of Veerashaiva Lingayat community by Mr. Joshi, Mr. Kunnur said that his decision has nothing to do with the seer. But he felt that a leader from Veerashaiva Lingayat community should have been given ticket by the Congress.
However, when asked, he said that if Fakir Dingaleshwar Swami decided to contest from Dharwad Lok Sabha Constituency, he will withdraw from contest in the interest of the community.
On taking on a Union Minister without a party back-up, he said that he has his own network in Dharwad district and that will help him win comfortably in the constituency.
Mr. Kunnur, who won from Shiggaon Assembly Constituency in Haveri district twice as Congress candidate, subsequently joined the BJP and won from Dharwad South (now Haveri) Constituency. He shifted to the Congress to contest unsuccessfully from Dharwad constituency in 2009. Mr. Kunnur returned to the BJP in 2018 and ahead of the Assembly elections in 2023, he rejoined the Congress.
