BELAGAVI: With the Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the Congress leadership is exploring all possibilities to win as many seats as possible in the state. Riding on its comprehensive win in the recent assembly elections, the Grand Old Oarty is contemplating fielding some of its popular leaders, particularly ministers, in various constituencies.
It is said that several ministers, including Satish Jarkiholi, HC Mahadevappa, B Nagendra and Dinesh Gundu Rao, are under pressure from the party leadership to contest the Lok Sabha polls.
However, none of the ministers are interested in throwing their hat in the ring by giving up their plum cabinet berths. Some ministers, including PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, have already announced that they will not contest the 2024 elections even as their names are likely to be shortlisted as probable candidates.
Even before the party could shortlist probable candidates, several ministers, headed by Jarkiholi, met at his residence in Bengaluru two days ago and demanded that the high command appoint more deputy chief ministers, a move that is said to be a counter strategy by ministers to send a message to the party leadership that they are not interested in contesting the upcoming polls.
Sources said the group of ministers in the meeting, which also included Mahadevappa, Nagendra, Gundurao and others, is exerting pressure on the party leadership to give priority to backward classes and minorities by naming MLAs from these communities as DCMs so that the party could bolster its position ahead of the polls.
“It is possible not only to get a major chunk of votes from different dominant communities by having DCMs from there, but the party could also win more than 18 seats without much effort,’’ said a top Congress leader.
A section of party leadership too is of the view that fielding more ministers will help the party win more seats. Most cabinet ministers are popular and experienced leaders with an ability to defeat BJP candidates in their respective constituencies, sources said.
A large number of rising Congress leaders have been lobbying for party tickets and some of them have been already endorsed by respective cabinet ministers. Sources said the party is screening their credentials before taking a final call.
As by fielding ministers, the Congress will have bright chances of winning some of the tougher seats in the state, particularly in North Karnataka and Mysore Karnataka regions, it is unlikely to go for new faces.
On the other hand, ministers with a potential to win the 2024 elections in their respective constituencies are unwilling to sacrifice their career in state politics.
Their latest demand to name more DCMs may jeopardise the party’s plans to field them in the upcoming polls.