BENGALURU: The action in the Congress camp for the selection of seven candidates to fight the Legislative Council elections from the Assembly has now shifted to New Delhi. The aspirants, who had thronged the residences of CM Siddaramaiah and DyCM DK Shivakumar, who is also KPCC president, are now meeting the Congress’ top brass leaders in Delhi to lobby for the party ticket. Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar will camp in the National Capital on Tuesday and Wednesday to get the candidates’ list cleared by the high command.
Braving the scorching heat in Delhi, the Congress aspirants have camped in Delhi, with a few already having met AICC president Mallikarjuna Kharge. Meanwhile, informed sources said Minor Irrigation Minister NS Boseraju’s nomination has been cleared by the high command. But Kharge, Siddaramaiah, and Shivakumar have to choose two nominees each, sources added.
Apart from his son, Dr Yathindra, Siddaramaiah, a Kuruba, is likely to choose the second candidate from a different community. Shivakumar is considering a Vokkaliga candidate and another candidate from a different community. Kharge has identified a member from the SC community and might opt for another candidate from either the Lingayat or a minority community, said a Congress leader, adding that the Congress chief considering a candidate from the SC Lambani community also cannot be ruled out. “The trio is likely to go with their staunch loyalists, who can help them strengthen their clout in their respective regions in the future,” the Congress leader added.
For Siddaramaiah, Yathindra becoming an MLC is inevitable, as the latter has to attend the official functions in the Varuna Assembly constituency in the absence of his father. “This will help Siddaramaiah and Yathindra keep a hold on the seat for future endeavours,” says a political expert.
Meanwhile, sources said that the Congress high command may throw up some surprises. K Govindaraju, Ramesh Babu, A N Nataraj Gowda, Ivon D’souza, VR Sudarshan, Vinay Karthik, M Narayanaswamy, V S Ugrappa, BV Srinivas, KP Nanjundi, Tejaswini Gowda, and Dr Puspa Amarnath are some of the hopefuls.
The top brass is likely to make some of the aspirants a new promise that they will be nominated to the Council through the Governor in October, when two seats fall vacant. As UB Venkatesh’s term ends, it may go to Vijay K Mulgund under the Brahmin quota, a leader said. The notification for the election to 11 Council seats from the Assembly to be held on June 13 was issued on Monday.