MYSURU: With the Congress Election Committee (CEC) all set to meet on March 19 to finalise candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the party’s high command has started gathering first-hand information on the shortlisted aspirants.
Many aspirants have stepped up lobbying to get the party ticket. The top brass is in no mood to take any chances and hence has asked sitting and former legislators to take note of the aspirants’ opinions.
Informed sources said that the Central Congress leaders want to go by the ground report and consider the opinions of the local leaders before taking a call on the candidates.
AICC sources confirmed that the Pradesh Congress Committee would table internal/confidential reports before the CEC so that the deserving candidates are not denied party tickets. They also confirmed that the CEC may seek details on more aspirants and even pick a new face if there is no consensus on the candidate in a few constituencies in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, selecting a candidate in Mysuru-Kodagu and Chamarajanagar has become more challenging for the Grand Old Party. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been authorised to take a call on the candidates.
While Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa has refused to contest from Chamarajanagar, the list of aspirants includes his son Sunil Bose, former MLA Nanjundaswamy, former MP M Shivanna, and KPCC women’s wing president Pushpa Amarnath. The lobbying has taken a new dimension with sitting BJP MP V Srinivasa Prasad’s son-in-law Mohan Kumar approaching the Siddaramaiah and DyCM DK Shivakumar for a Congress ticket.
In Mysuru-Kodagu, Siddaramaiah has categorically said that his son, Dr Yathindra, will not contest the polls, and has decided to field a candidate belonging to the Vokkaliga community. The KPCC has recommended two names — KPCC spokesperson M Lakshmana and Mysuru Congress chief BJ Vijay Kumar.
With Mysuru his home turf, the CM is leaving no stone unturned to win the prestigious constituency and has gathered opinions from his Cabinet colleagues from the district and also sitting and defeated MLAs.
Keeping his cards close to his chest, Siddaramaiah has not even hinted at his choice of candidate and is looking at the pros and cons of the aspirants as the BJP has won the psychological battle by fielding scion of the Mysuru Royal Family, Yaduveery Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, from the Mysuru-Kodagu seat.