MYSURU: With Lok Sabha elections fast approaching, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, tasked with winning a minimum of 20 seats in Karnataka, has started shortlisting prospective candidates. He is keen to wrest Mysuru and Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha seats -- both in his backyard -- besides a maximum number of seats in Old Mysuru region, that the Congress swept in the assembly elections.
The Congress leadership wants a few ministers to contest, including Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa from Chamarajanagar seat. The party claimed that survey reports are in favour of Mahadevappa, a veteran leader from T Narsipur assembly seat which falls in Chamarajanagar constituency. His son and Youth Congress leader Sunil Bose is a strong aspirant for the Lok Sabha ticket, as he couldn’t get the ticket from Nanjangud or T Narsipur.
With Mahadevappa making it loud and clear that he would not contest the LS election, fresh trouble is brewing for Siddaramaiah, who will have to find another candidate. Though Mahadevappa is known to be Siddaramaiah’s confidant from their Janata Party days in the 1980s, they are now at loggerheads. Mahadevappa has pointed out that there are many popular leaders in the party who should be fielded.
The minister, who was instrumental in organising Mahaparinirvan Diwas to mark the death anniversary of BR Ambedkar and Dalit convention in Chitradurga, is also credited with organising the Constitution Awareness convention in Bengaluru, which was widely appreciated by intellectuals, Dalits and progressive thinkers across the country.
The Dalit community wants Mahadevappa to continue in state politics and fears that his exit will create a leadership vacuum, as veteran leader V Srinivasa Prasad has joined the BJP and Congress leader R Dhruvanarayana is no more.
Party insiders and Dalit leaders fear the party will not be able to convince the community that Mahadevappa should contest the Lok Sabha election. The Congress wants Mahadevappa to serve the party at the national level, and make way for other senior legislators to join the ministry. It is also learnt that Mahadevappa may contest if the CM and DCM issue a statement that his services are no more required for the state. His aides have hinted that he will put in his papers and continue as legislator.
Meanwhile, Mahadevappa’s reluctance has prompted B Somashekhar, former MP Shivanna, former MLA Nanjundaswamy, Mahila Congress president Pushpa Amarnath and others to throw their hats in the ring.
Sources revealed that Shivakumar is likely to hold talks with Nanjangud MLA Darshan Dhruvnarayana to contest. Though Darshan is in no mood to plunge into national politics, the party feels it has the advantage of the sympathy factor following Dhruvanarayana’s death.
Siddaramaiah may prevail on Mahadevappa to contest, or pick a dark horse who is acceptable to all communities. Local legislators and leaders have authorised Siddaramaiah to decide on the candidate.