BELAGAVI: The ongoing lobby by several Congress leaders and many other new faces for the party tickets from Belagavi and Chikkodi Lok Sabha constituencies has hit a dead end.
It has come to light that Priyanka Jarkiholi, daughter of PWD Minister and also KPCC working president Satish Jarkiholi is expected to be the consensus party candidate from Chikkodi and Mrinal Hebbalkar, son of Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar may contest from Belagavi.
As expected, the Congress finally depended on Jarkiholis and Hebbalkars, the two politically influential families to regain its lost bastions.
“Local Congress leaders want Mrinal and Priyanka as candidates from Belagavi and Chikkodi, respectively. However, the top Congress leaders from Belagavi district and the party high command will take a final call on this issue,'' said Hebbalkar.
Speculations were rife that the Congress would not field anyone else other than members of the two families from both seats, and the fresh statement of Hebbalkar has added credence to it.
“The absence of leaders with the potential to defeat BJP candidates in both constituencies may have compelled the Congress to field members of the two families. Having Mrinal and Priyanka as candidates is as good as having Laxmi Hebbalkar and Satish Jarkiholi in the fray,” said another senior Congress leader.
Satish agreed that a discussion on whether to have his daughter as party candidate from Chikkodi was held by CM Siddaramaiah and DyCM DK Shivakumar when the duo was in Belagavi recently.
“I have informed CM and DyCM that I would give my opinion on whether to have Priyanka as a candidate only after holding discussions with party seniors from Chikkodi. But before that, I also will have to see whether the probable candidate (Priyanka) is ready to contest the election. It will be tougher if she refuses to contest the polls,'' said Satish.
Informed sources said the Congress state leadership has already finalised Mrinal and Priyanka as candidates for the two seats and is now waiting for the party high command to give its nod.
On the other hand, the hopes of many other aspirants for the party ticket have almost hit a dead end.
Some of the aspirants for the Congress ticket from Belagavi include advocate Mohan Katarki, Dr Girish Sonwalkar, District Congress president Vinay Navalgatti, and Youth Congress leader Kiran Sadhunavar.
From Chikkodi, Laxmanrao Chingale and Prakash Hukkeri were the strong contenders.