BENGALURU: Brushing aside the public outcry that erupted following the pub brawl involving his son Mohammed Haris, Congress has decided to field two-time MLA NA Haris from Shantinagar constituency in Bengaluru. Congress, which released its second and final list of candidates on Sunday, has replaced candidates in six constituencies including Badami, where it has named Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as the candidate in place of Devaraj Patil. Siddaramaiah has been given the tickets to contest from Chamundeshwari and Badami.
In Madikeri, the party has replaced H S Chandramouli with K P Chandrakala following objections against him for being part of the legal team of Mehul Choksi.
The delay in clearing the name of Haris for Shantinagar had sparked speculations of the party scouting for an alternative candidate as a section of the party leadership felt the pub brawl involving Junior Haris could damage the prospects of party candidates in many constituencies of Bengaluru.
According to sources in Congress, the decision to field Haris was taken after an internal survey predicted easy win for him even after the ugly incident. Haris has clinched the ticket on his winnability factor. "It is not fair to punish the father for the acts of his son," Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy had said defending Haris.
Congress which had announced its nominees for 218 seats in its first list has announced the candidates for the remaining 5 seats in its second list. The party has extended its support to Swaraj India Party candidate Darshan Puttannaiah in Melukote constituency.
Among the pending seats, apart from Haris, the party has named former minister D B Inamdar for Kittur seat, Vithal Dhondiba Katakdhond for Nagthan, Mallanna Ninganna Sali for Sindgi and Sayed Yasin, son-in-law of veteran Congress leader Jaffer Sharief, for Raichur assembly seat.
Strong protests and rebellion has forced the party leadership to change the candidates in six constituencies including in Badami and Madikeri. In Padmanabha Nagar constituency, party workers
have succeeded in getting their candidate Gurappa Naidu replaced with M Srinivas; in Malleswaram Kengal Sripad Renu, grandson of former chief minister Kengal Hanumanthaiah, has replaced Science and Technology minister M R Seetaram as the latter stood firm on his decision not to contest. Seetharam had not applied for the ticket. However, the party leadership had allotted the ticket to Seetharam with hopes of convincing him to contest.
In Tiptur, B Nanjamari has been replaced with K Shadakshari.
WHO GOT IT
Shantinagar: N A Haris
Kittur: D B Inamdar
Nagthan: Vithal Dhondiba Katakdhond
Sindagi: Mallanna Ninganna Sali
Raichur: Syed Yasin
SIX REPLACED
Badami: Siddaramaiah (in place of Devaraj Patil)
Jagalur : H P Rajesh (in place of A L Pushpa)
Tiptur: K Shadakshari (B Nanjamari)
Malleswaram: Kengal Sripad Renu (M R Seetharam)
Padmanabha Nagar: M Srinivas (B Gurappa Naidu)
Madikeri: K P Chandrakala (H S Chandramouli)