Congress finalises candidates for 22 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka; six seats pose challenges

The Congress’ Central Election Committee (CEC) chaired a meeting on Thursday, 7 March, with AICC chief Mallikarjun Kharge, former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi and others.

The meeting gained significance as the party’s central leadership gathered to finalise the names for several parliament constituencies of various states including Karnataka, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.

Also Read: Congress’s poll body meets to finalise first list of candidates for LS elections

Seat allocation in Karnataka

With regard to Congress’ Karnataka unit, the party high command held deliberations with the state leadership and is said to have finalised names for around 22 constituencies. A couple of state Cabinet ministers are also expected to contest, claimed a senior leader.

Finalising candidates for the remaining six seats has reportedly turned out to be a big headache for the party’s central leadership as some of the incumbent ministers and MLAs are demanding tickets for their kith and kin, said sources in the party.

Meanwhile, KPCC chief and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar hinted at the possible candidature of Kharge from Karnataka’s Kalaburagi.

“Only his name has been proposed in his constituency. He and the party will take a final call,” Shivakumar said adding that the party might release the first list of candidates for Lok Sabha any moment.

Also Read: BJP may field former Karnataka CMs Jagadish Shettar and Basavaraj Bommai

‘Sitting ministers might contest’

The Congress high command held a meeting with the state leadership, including Shivakumar in Delhi on Thursday, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah joined virtually.

A senior Cabinet minister, who didn’t want to be named, told South First: “The party has finalised the names for 22 segments and deliberations are underway for the remaining constituencies.”

“The party is expected to announce the candidates for 14 constituencies for Karnataka in the first list. The party has considered demands and opinions from all the communities and leaders.”

“The candidates for Koppal, Raichur, Belagavi, Bengaluru Rural, Vijayapura, Bagalkot, Ballari, Haveri-Gadag, Tumakuru, Chitradurga, Bidar and a few other segments have been finalised,” added the minister.

On possibilities of state ministers contesting in the Parliament elections, the minister said: “The high command held detailed deliberations on fielding some of the ministers as well. Around two to three ministers are likely to contest. The party is trying to convince them.”

“The party will disclose the names of those ministers in due time. The deliberations have been made. It is up to the high command to take the final call,” the minister, added.

“The high command also took caste equations into consideration while finalising the tickets. Three candidates are likely to be from the Muslim community, five to six from the Lingayat community, six to seven from OBC and four to five from the Vokkaliga community,” the minister said.

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Undecided on six seats

Deciding on the selection process for the remaining six seats has become a significant challenge, claimed sources in the party.

“Some of the ministers and MLAs are insisting on tickets for their relatives, making it a daunting task for the party’s central leadership to convince them,” claimed a senior Congressman.

On anonymity, a senior Congressman told South First: “The party is willing to give the ticket to Social Welfare Minister Dr HC Mahadevappa in Chamarajanagara, but he wants his son Sunil Bose to be considered for the seat. Even though all the MLAs are in favour of Mahadevappa he is not budging.”

“In Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru Development Authority Chairman and MLA NA Harris is demanding a ticket to his son Mohammed Haris Nalapad, who is state president of the Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress. The high command is keen to field chief minister’s political secretary and MLC K Naseer Ahmed.”

“There are similar political scenarios in some other parliamentary constituencies including Davanagere as well. The high command is convincing the ministers and MLAs to give up their bids for some seats. The high command will take a final call,” elaborated the Congressman.

However, he did not disclose details about other constituencies.

In Davangere, Minister for Mines and Geology SS Mallikarjun is demanding a ticket for his wife Prabha Mallikarjun, on the other hand, Indian Youth Congress Outreach Cell President Vinay Kumar BG, who is the founder of the InsightsIAS, is also demanding the ticket.

Also Read: BJP asks Kharge, Gandhis to apologise over pro-Pak slogan

DK Shivakumar hints Kharge’s candidature from Karnataka

On possibilities of Kharge contesting in Lok Sabha polls, Shivakumar said: “He is the AICC president. Several people have proposed his name in their constituencies and there is no other name in his home constituency (Kalaburagi). Ultimately, the AICC president has to decide.”

“It is his call and the party’s decision. He has to travel all over the country. He has other responsibilities too,” concluded the deputy chief minister.

However, strong talks are making rounds in the political corridors that Kharge’s son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani is the frontrunner for the Kalaburagi constituency, the seat that the AICC chief has represented twice.

The only electoral defeat of Kharge’s political career was also from the same seat, in 2019 against BJP’s Umesh Jadhav.

Also Read: Kharge’s son-in-law emerges as front-runner for Gulbarga seat 

First list to be out anytime

Shivakumar also stated in Delhi on Friday that the party might release the first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections anytime.

Extending Mahashivaratri greetings to the people of Karnataka, Shivakumar told reporters in Delhi: “Party’s central leadership will carry out the remaining procedure. We held talks over the party’s poll organisation in general.”

On speculations that names for around nine constituencies in Karnataka were cleared, Shivakumar said: “I am not ready to talk about that. The AICC will disclose it and the first list will be out anytime.”

“I cannot say. I have said that we have discussed 50 percent. The subject was only 50 percent,” added the deputy chief minister.