HUBBALLI: While the BJP has launched its electioneering with fanfare, Congress is yet to find a suitable candidate for Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency.Though it is not the first time that the Congress is waiting till the last day of filing nomination to announce its candidate, the delay has left many of the party workers in confusion.
The Dharwad Lok Sabha seat, once a stronghold of the Congress, has been a BJP bastion for the last two decades.When the party was struggling to find a candidate in 2014, the then Chief Minister Siddaramaiah persuaded Dharwad MLA Vinay Kulkarni, assuring him of a cabinet berth, irrespective of the result. Kulkarni lost to BJP’s Prahlad Joshi, but he was made a cabinet minister later.
However, Kulkarni who was confident that the party had no option but to field him this time too did not lobby for the ticket initially.However, as the party has not announced its candidate, he reportedly grew impatient and said he was ready to contest even as an independent, sources said.
The sources said as the party high command discussed the names of Shakir Sanadi, Sadanand Danganavar and Srinivas Mane, a beleaguered Kulkarni tried to influence the state leadership by threatening to contest as an independent.Meanwhile, a new name — Seema Sadiq, who runs an NGO — also surfaced. However, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has not yet taken a decision on it.
Danganavar, who has backing of KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, told The New Indian Express that the delay in announcing the candidature has hit the party prospects, but leaders are looking into factors like castes and winnability before finalising a name.Gandhi will decide on a name by Tuesday, he added.
Vinay had lost poll in 2014, still got cabinet seat
In 2014, everybody were reluctant to fight LS poll, the then Chief Minister Siddaramaih persuaded Dharwad MLA Vinay Kulkarni assuring him of cabinet berth despite his defeat. On that assurance, Vinay fought against Pralhad Joshi and gave a fight, but lost with over 1.1 lakh margin. As per the assurance, Vinay was made cabinet minister in the immediate expansion.