BELAGAVI: The return of former CM Jagadish Shettar to the BJP fold has bolstered the prospects of sitting Belagavi MP Mangala Angadi and her daughter Shraddha Shettar (Shettar’s daughter-in-law) as one of them is certain to emerge as the party’s consensus candidate for Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency in the general election.
On the other hand, Shettar’s return to the BJP has triggered a debate in the Congress, which is under pressure to field a candidate with ‘winnability’. Sources said the party will now depend on the Jarkiholis or Hebbalkars to take on the strong opponent. A member from one of the two politically influential families may be fielded, sources added.
When Shettar was with the Congress, the party leadership had been exploring the possibility of fielding one of its leaders, like Supreme Court senior advocate Mohan Katarki, youth leaders Kiran Sadhunavar, Dr Girish Sonwalkar and Vinay Navalgatti. Sources said with an Angadi family member set to become the BJP’s choice, the Congress may change its strategy.
The indication given by Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar on Sunday in Belagavi that her son Mrinal could be the candidate, as many of her supporters are keen to see him contest the coming polls, has stirred up a hornet’s nest. A prospective candidate said “the party is yet to conduct its internal survey on who should be the candidate for Belagavi. It is too early to speculate on this issue. The party high command will take a final call only after survey reports’’.
A few weeks ago, PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi had made it clear that no member of his or the Hebbalkar family would contest the polls. He had said the party may choose a candidate from the Lingayat community for Belagavi, and a Kuruba community leader for Chikkodi LS constituency.
For a long time now, many Congress leaders had been rallying behind the party’s youth leader and Jarkiholi’s daughter Priyanka as the candidate from Belagavi.
Jarkiholi had been against it until now, but whether he will change his stance in the wake of the changing political scenario is something one has to wait and see.
