Mysore/Mysuru: Three days after N.R. Constituency Congress MLA Tanveer Sait announced that he would be retiring from electoral politics while citing health issues, speculations are now doing rounds whether the five-time MLA played the retirement card just to checkmate his opponents within the Congress party.
Tanveer Sait, who is also a former Minister, is facing a stiff challenge from rivals within the Congress for the party ticket this time, especially from former Mayors Ayub Khan and Arif Hussain.
Sait, who is said to be not in good terms with former CM Siddharamaiah, especially after the row over Mayoral polls last year, is said to be unhappy with Ayub Khan’s efforts to somehow get the Congress ticket through Siddharamaiah.
As such, Tanveer Sait, who has applied for Congress ticket from N.R. Constituency and is almost certain to get it with party High Command assuring him, is said to have played the retirement card in order to know the political moves and game-plans of his opponents within the Congress party.
Sait, who is aware of SDPI’s growing clout in the Constituency, is facing a severe challenge this time, as he fears that any division in minority votes will have an impact on his electoral prospects in the upcoming Assembly polls.
Meanwhile, the BJP too is working out its own plans to win back the Constituency which it had won only once in 1994 and the JD(S) too is making all out attempts to win the minority-dominated Constituency.
Apprehensive about non-co-operation from his fellow Congress leaders, Sait is also said to be planning to contest on a JD(S) ticket as he thinks it would help his cause in the Assembly polls as he sees little chances of internal sabotage, which he may have to face if he contests from the Congress.
Overall, it can be said that the real game-plan behind Sait’s sudden decision to retire from electoral politics on health grounds is to ascertain the reaction of his rivals, both inside and outside the Congress.
Whatever it be, his rivals ask whatever happened to his health now that he says he will contest if the High Command wants.
This is a constituency where at places, if you walk, looks like the suburbs of Karachi in Pakistan-a Muslim ghetto!
Javeed Nayeem, the columnist, will not write about this constituency, where he lives!
A few years ago, Mr Ganapathy, called Tanverr Sait, ‘a chip off the old block’, meaning a worthy of being Aziz Sait’s son. But Aziz Sait was better than Tanveer, as he did more good for Mysore as a minister.
Siddaramaih , who is looking for a constituency should himself stand here. He is the one Mysore needs.