MYSURU: With the Lok Sabha polls fast approaching and the BJP-JDS alliance likely to start seat-sharing talks to gear up party workers to take on the ruling Congress, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is keen to wrest both Mysuru and Chamarajanagar in his home turf, and will hold a meeting to finalise the candidates.
Knowing well that it would be a tough call in the Old Mysuru region after the JDS and BJP joined hands, the Congress doesn’t want to take chances, and hopes to get a head start. Siddaramaiah has taken the polls seriously and is eager to win both seats to prove his clout in Old Mysuru. He called a legislators’ meeting during his two-day tour to Mysuru and Kodagu.
Siddaramaiah will himself hold a one-to-one meeting with legislators as there are three serious contenders among 13 aspirants for the Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha seat and 12 aspirants for the Chamarajanagar LS constituency.
Clarifying that his son will not contest the Lok Sabha election and the party is keen to field a candidate from the Vokkaliga community, Siddaramaiah said a consensus candidate will be chosen. All legislators and leaders will be taken into confidence so there are no hiccups or voices of dissidence.
The Congress candidate should be in a position to cut into Vokkaliga votes and also win over leaders from opposition camps who are upset with the alliance or unhappy with sitting MP Pratap Simha. The Chief Minister will hold parallel meetings of prominent leaders and those keeping a low profile, other than focusing on the consolidation of Ahinda votes that helped the party sweep the assembly polls.
Siddaramaiah looks to reclaim Chamarajanagar
Meanwhile, separate meetings will be held of legislators from Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency to pick the candidate so they can get started with the spadework, and organise party workers and leaders.
The Congress lost to the BJP by a thin margin in the Chamarajanagar constituency, considered to be a stronghold of the grand old party, that wanted to reclaim the seat.
The defeat in his backyard or drubbing of Old Mysuru region would give rivals within the party an upper hand and it would dent his image. This may also bring the leadership issue to centre stage that had subsided after the high command warned leaders not to speak on the sharing of power or the creation of three more deputy CM posts.