BENGALURU: The Congress on Thursday released its first list of eight candidates for the byelections to 15 Karnataka assembly constituencies. While it tactfully released the list for safe seats, it held back announcing candidates for contentious seats like Shivajinagar.
AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik announced the candidates —Yellapur- Bhimanna Naik, Hirekerur-Bannikod, Ranebennur-ex-speaker KB Koliwad, Chickkaballapur-M Anjanappa, KR Pura-M Narayanswamy, Mahalakshmi Layout-M Shivaraj, Hoskote -Padmavati Suresh, MLA Byrati Suresh’s wife, and Hunsur-H P Manjunath.The party named candidates for six of the seats held by it and two by the JDS.The byelections, scheduled for December 5, have been necessitated by the disqualification of sitting MLAs of Congress and JDS after they revolted.
The Congress has prudently shied away from announcing MLC Rizwan Arshad for the Shivajinagar seat that fell vacant after Roshan Baig resigned. After the last meeting of party leaders, there was a heated exchange between party leader K H Muniyappa and AICC general secretary B K Hariprasad on one side, and CLP leader Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief Dinesh Gundu Rao on the other side over ticket to Rizwan for Shivajinagar after he lost in the MP elections to the BJP in 2014 and 2019.
Congressmen said it was pleasantly surprising that the party had released the list well in advance. But, considering that the BJP list is mostly ready by default since the rebels are expected to contest on its ticket, Congress list has not come out so early, informed a source.When TNIE asked CM BSY about rebels, he said the final list for the bypolls will depend on the court ruling.
