Cong may disclose 90 candidates in first list

Siddaramaiah is left with two options if he heeds the advice of the high command. One is Badami, where he narrowly won last time. The second option is the safe seat of Varuna in Mysuru district represented by son Yathindra

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: As Congress’ ticket aspirants for the upcoming state Assembly polls have been waiting with bated breath, they might have to exercise even more patience since the number of candidates in the first list might be brought down to 90 instead of the 120 to 150 names, which had been the original plan.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Satish Jarkiholi, who returned to his native district of Belagavi from the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting in New Delhi on Sunday, insisted that around 120 names had actually been finalised but the first list would contain only 90. “In 20 to 30 seats, we need to establish a consensus,” he said.

Jarkiholi is organizing the programme for former party president Rahul Gandhi slated to be held in Belagavi city’s CPED ground on Monday. Leader of the Opposition (LOP) in the Assembly Siddaramaiah echoed these sentiments, adding that seats that had a solitary hopeful including sitting MLAs would be a part of the list.

“Let me be clear. In the seats where there is one aspirant, the candidates have been finalised. These include sitting Congress MLAs and other seats as well,” he said. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar has also on multiple occasions sent out the message that the party had been happy with incumbent MLAs.

“All (Congress) MLAs have worked well,” he said before the CEC meeting in New Delhi. However, he added that two MLAs had decided to not contest. Whether or not this includes Narasimharaja MLA Tanveer Sait is not clear. Sait had said that he didn’t want to contest, citing age, among other concerns.

Another sitting party MLA from Bengaluru’s Pulakeshinagar Akhanda Srinivasmurthy, who has the backing of Siddaramaiah is reportedly opposed by Shivakumar. Siddu seat conundrum persists However, the bigger question that has Congress in a fix is where Siddaramaiah would contest.

Apparently, All India Congress Committee (AICC) leaders, including former Rahul Gandhi suggested that the former chief minister consider not contesting from Kolar, citing surveys that project that Congress would do poorly in the constituency. Congress hasn’t won the Kolar Assembly seat in nearly 30 years.

However, sitting Kolar MLA from JD(S) K Srinivas Gowda is slated to join the party, making matters even more complicated. Siddaramaiah is left with two options if he heeds the advice of the party high command. One is Badami, where he narrowly won last time around.

The second option is the “safe seat” of Varuna in Mysuru district, where his son Yathindra is the sitting MLA. The Chamundeshwari seat where he was routed by JD(S) candidate and Vokkaliga leader GT Devegowda is not being considered. The LOP has insisted that his ticket application specifies that his choice of seat was “left to high command.”

He has repeatedly pointed out that he would contest from Badami or Varuna or Kolar, the party only need ask him. However, behind closed doors, it is being said that Siddaramaiah is a lofty leader who has enough clout to choose his own constituency, regardless of the central leadership’s advice.