BELAGAVI: Some top Congress leaders are eyeing Assembly segments where they have brighter prospects of winning in the 2023 Assembly polls. Including ex-CM Siddaramaiah and KPCC working president Satish Jarkiholi, some Congress leaders may switch their constituencies, though they are capable of retaining their current seats.
Congress is hunting for a suitable candidate for the Saudatti constituency, where it lost the last poll because of a split in party votes while BJP’s Anand Mamni has won the last three elections. Though the party has three locally-popular leaders aspiring for the ticket, Siddaramaiah’s name is doing the rounds.
Discussions are being held within the party to get the CLP leader to contest from the seat instead of Badami, which he represents. But the party is also looking at Chamarajpet, Badami, Koppal or Kolar segments for him, but will take a final decision later, sources said.
Close associates of Jarkiholi want him to contest from Saudatti by leaving Yamakanmardi to his daughter Priyanka. Sources denied the speculation, asserting he will not switch from Yamakanmardi nor bring his daughter into politics so early. Instead, Jarkiholi may support Siddaramaiah’s candidature if the party wants the latter to contest from Saudatti.
Jarkiholi, contesting the last Lok Sabha election from the Belagavi Parliamentary constituency, garnered a mammoth votes from the Saudatti Assembly segment. To avoid possible rebel activities in the 2023 Assembly polls, Congress is mulling fielding a popular leader like Siddaramaiah or Jarkiholi, sources said.