Reluctance of ministers to enter fray puts K'taka Cong in spot of bother

Bengaluru: Reluctance of some ministers and lawmakers in Karnataka to contest the Lok Sabha polls seems to have put the Congress scouting for "winnable" candidates in a spot of bother in finalising contestants for bulk of the seats.

It has been ten days since the Congress announced its candidates for seven segments while the process to pick nominees for the remaining 21 seats is on.

The Congress' first list released on March eight did not have names of any of the ministers and legislators.

According to party sources, the Congress leadership has been making efforts to convince some ministers and lawmakers to contest, as they have faced problems in identifying winnable candidates in several segments.

Senior Congress leader and Home Minister G Parameshwara had recently said there are discussions in the party to field seven to eight ministers.

Some ministers instead of themselves contesting, are said to be pushing for the candidature of their family members and, according to sources, the party leadership seem to be worried about the message it may send out if their kin are fielded.

It is now left for the Congress leadership including president Mallikarjun Kharge and party senior leader and MP Rahul Gandhi to take a call on the issue of fielding ministers or their family members, party sources said.

State Congress President and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said the process of selecting candidates has come to a final stage.

"Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra has ended today (Saturday), tomorrow there is an INDIA bloc leaders public meeting, and on March 19 there is our meeting (to finalise candidates). On March 19 night or 20th morning, all our candidates will be announced," he said.

According to sources, the Congress is keen on fielding Cabinet Ministers H C Mahadevappa from Chamarajanagar, K H Muniyappa from Kolar, B Nagendra from Bellary, Satish Jarkiholi from Belgaum, Eshwar Khandre from Bidar, and Krishna Byre Gowda from Bangalore North.

Almost all these ministers are reluctant to fight the polls and some are said to have suggested the names of their family members, with assurances that they will ensure their victory.

Gowda is said to have told the party leadership that he doesn't want to contest. He lost from Bangalore North in 2019 and in 2009, from Bangalore South.

Mahadevappa is said to be insisting on Chamarajanagar ticket for his son Sunil Bose.

Parameshwara, who was earlier the party state unit president, had recently said, "He (Mahadevappa) is saying that he doesn't want to contest and the ticket be given to his son. Party will ultimately decide whether it will be Mahadevappa or his son or someone else. He cannot be pressured if he doesn't want to (contest)."

Another senior Minister Muniyappa, is said to have pitched his son-in-law Shashidhar J E for the Kolar seat. (PTI)