The Congress has not put on hold the candidature for the Madikeri assembly constituency in south Karnataka. Reports had earlier stated that the party had decided to hold the constituency following a political controversy over the selection of HS Chandramouli as a candidate from the seat.

Chandramouli is the lawyer of absconding businessman Mehul Choksi, who is the uncle of PNB scam prime accused Nirav Modi.

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According to reports, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said that the party has not put the candidature on hold.

“He has clarified that he has no personal relation with Nirav Modi’s uncle, Mehul Choksi,” Shergill said.

Congress had mentioned Chandramouli’s name as a candidate from the constituency in the Kodagu (Coorg) district of the state in its list of 218 candidates for the upcoming polls.

Read More: Congress releases list of 218 candidates

According to reports, the nomination of Chandramouli raised eyebrows of many within the party. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah’s legal advisor and party spokesperson Brijesh Kalappa took to Facebook to express his disappointment.

“I have been denied LS 2009, 2014. RS in 2014, 16, 18 and now Assembly,” he wrote, adding, “I will swallow the ignominy of being ousted from the race by a Person who joined the Party in 2016, got a Legislative Council Ticket the same year, lost and the same person now bags the Assembly ticket for Madikeri.”

Kalappa announced that he might try for gram panchayat next.

But Kalappa was not alone. State vice president of Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) Napanda Muthappa quit Congress after Chandramouli’s name was picked for Madikeri constituency.

According to reports, Congress workers had on their minds a host of local leaders including Muthappa for the seat but Chandramouli was not one of them.

They were appalled that the party had given a ticket to someone who had lost in the local bodies elections from Kodagu.

The controversy came at a time when the Congress has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government over a series of bank frauds including the PNB scam.

“Nirav Modi fled with Rs 30,000 crore and PM didn’t utter a word. We were forced to stand in queues as he snatched Rs 500 and Rs 1000 rupee notes from our pockets and put them in Nirav Modi’s pocket,” said Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded sitting MLA Appachu Ranjan, who was the former minister for youth services and sports, from Madikeri. His name was announced in the first list of 72 candidates on 9 April along with those of CM candidate BS Yeddyurappa and party heavyweights KS Eswarappa and Jagadeesh Shettar.