BENGALURU: Congress on Sunday announced the names of its candidates for the upcoming bypolls to Karnataka Legislative Council. After much deliberations with the high command, the party has announced the names of Naseer Ahmed and M C Venugopal to contest in the October 4 elections. Of the three vacant seats, Congress has decided to contest two while JD(S) — as per the decision of the coordination committee — will contest one. The BJP is likely to field three caddndidates as well.
Ahmed, a former MLC, is said to have been backed by former chief minister Siddaramaiah while Venugopal’s candidature was being pushed by Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara and former minister Ramalinga Reddy. Reddy had even travelled to New Delhi to lobby for Venugopal, who had stepped aside from contesting the assembly elections in Jayanagar constituency for Souwmya Reddy.
Names of four candidates were shortlisted and suggested to AICC president Rahul Gandhi during his meet with KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, G Parameshwara and Siddaramaiah along with General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge K C Venugopal on Wednesday night. Names of Nivedith Alva, Nazeer Ahmed, M C Venugopal and U B Venkatesh were suggested, out of which the party has decided on Venugopal and Ahmed.