TUMAKURU: With CM Siddaramaiah and DyCM DK Shivakumar attending the meeting called by Congress high command in New Delhi the key issue of fielding ministers and their family members in the state is likely to be discussed at length.
The Congress top brass has called for a meeting to discuss the party’s strategy for the Lok Sabha elections and preparations for the Bharat Nyay Yatra.
The Congress aims to win not less than 20 Lok Sabha seats of the 28 in Karnataka. But political pundits opine that the party may focus on 10-12 seats in the state and is in search of winnable candidates.
The ministers appointed as observers for the LS constituencies have shortlisted 3-4 names in each constituency and submitted a report to Shivakumar. The names of ministers KH Muniyappa for Kolar, B Nagendra for Ballari, Dr H C Mahadevappa for Chamarajanagar, and Eshwar Khandre for Bidar have been shortlisted, according to sources.
Muniyappa, who is eyeing Kolar, might shift to Chitradurga or push his son M Narasimharaju, a IRS officer who is on study leave for two years, a Congress leader said.
Interestingly, since AICC president M Mallikarjuna Kharge, RS member is unlikely to contest from Kalaburagi LS seat, the party is likely to field his son-in-law Radhakrishna, an informed source told TNIE.
Apart from Kalaburagi, there is a huge demand for the Chitradurga LS seat from SC community leaders as CM Siddaramaiah is holding an AHINDA rally there on January 28.
Since BJP-JDS alliance is a strong force in the Vokkaliga bastion of the Old Mysuru region, the Congress top brass would consider fielding Vokkaliga leaders and Shivakumar has already chalked out a plan, a Congress leader said.
Former minister and Yeshwantpur BJP MLA ST Somashekar’s name has been suggested for either Bengaluru North or Mysuru LS seat and this is also likely to be discussed in the meeting.
The name of Siddaramaiah’s son and former MLA Dr Yathindra has surfaced as a probable candidate from Mysuru-Kodagu.
Apart from the discussion on LS polls, the high command is also likely to discuss the nomination to the boards and corporations. The CM and DyCM will also meet union ministers.