K'taka Cong chief's brother Suresh rules out contesting assembly polls

Congress leader and Bangalore Rural MP DK Suresh on Wednesday said he was not interested in state politics, a day after his brother and the party's state unit chief DK Shivakumar indicated about fielding him from Ramanagara segment for the upcoming assembly polls.

He also said it will be difficult, as he is the lone Congress member in Lok Sabha from Karnataka.

"How can I discuss with you on the topic which has not been discussed with me...I'm not interested in state politics. Also I am fed up of by-elections, after having taken the responsibility of several by-polls during the last twenty years, I don't like wasting public money," Suresh said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I'm not ready to contest for now. If I have to decide, not only their (high command) direction, I also have to get permission from the workers of my constituency, who have sent me to Lok Sabha thrice, reposing faith in me"

Noting that there is pressure on him to contest from ten Assembly segments, the MP said, "I have pressure from all the four Assembly segments in my Lok Sabha constituency, and from about six segments outside.. so to contest for polls, various aspects including local workers have to be taken into consideration, and they need to be discussed in detail."

Shivakumar on Tuesday had said there was a proposal to field Suresh for the assembly polls, due by May, from Ramanagra, and that he has received a message from the party in this regard. But no discussion has taken place on this yet, including with Suresh, he had said.

Stating that he has got to know about the proposal to field him as Congress candidate from Ramanagara only through media reports, Suresh said so far none of the Congress' state or central leaders have spoken to him on the matter.

"....I have the responsibility, I am involved in party organisation in my constituency. People of Bangalore Rural have made me Lok Sabha member, I have to complete that work," he said.

In Ramanagara Assembly seat, Iqbal Hussain, who had contested and lost on Congress ticket in 2018 polls has been working for the people, Suresh said, adding his name has been recommended to the party as a candidate once again unanimously. "There is no change in that."

If Suresh is fielded from Ramanagara, it will be a battle between two Vokkaliga bigwigs in their backyard, as JD(S) has fielded party leader H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil.

While Ramanagara is the home district of Shivakumar and Suresh, for Kumaraswamy and family it is their "Karma Bhoomi".

Anitha Kumaraswamy, wife of Kumaraswamy, currently represents Ramanagara segment as JD(S) MLA.

Ruling BJP is yet to announce its candidate for Ramanagara.