BELAGAVI: Intense pressure from several influential aspirants for party tickets from Belagavi and Chikkodi Lok Sabha constituencies has put both the BJP and Congress leadership in a dilemma.
Although the BJP named sitting MP Annasaheb Jolle as its candidate from Chikkodi Lok Sabha constituency, the party is still unable to choose its candidate for Belagavi seat. However, sources said the BJP top brass has decided to field former CM Jagadish Shettar from Belagavi LS constituency.
Meanwhile in Hubballi, Shettar, after returning from Bengaluru on Friday, that during a meeting with BJP Parliamentary Board member B S Yediyurappa and state party president B Y Vijayendra, he has agreed to the suggestion of the central leadership to contest from Belagavi.
On the other hand, Congress leaders in Belagavi and Chikkodi are involved in a tug of war, exerting pressure on the leadership for the tickets.
However, the Congress high command is not keen on fielding new faces or youth leaders in both the segments but is insisting that Priyanka Jarkiholi, daughter of PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi, and Mrinal Hebbalkar, son of Women and Child Welfare Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar, contest from Chikkodi and Belagavi constituencies, respectively.
Sources said many of Satish’s associates from different assembly segments of Chikkodi LS constituency huddled up with him at his residence in Gokak on Friday and assured their support.
A meeting of Congress leaders was conducted at Raibag in the afternoon, extending support to Priyanka.
Of the eight assembly segments in Chikkodi, three have BJP MLAs and five Congress. But the Congress is yet to announce the name of Priyanka officially. The other strong contenders from Chikkodi for the Congress ticket are Laxmanrao Chingle and Prakash Hukkeri.
For Belagavi seat, many new faces like advocate Mohan Katarki, Dr Girish Sonwalkar, Vinay Navalgatti and Kiran Sashunavar are in the race for the Congress ticket, but Minister Hebbalkar’s son Mrinal is likely to emerge as a consensus candidate.
With Shettar expected to be the BJP candidate from Belagavi, the Congress leadership is seriously contemplating fielding its candidate on the ‘winnability’ factor.