Bellary MP E Tukaram's wife Annapurna to fight from Sandur: Siddaramaiah

NT Correspondent Mysuru: Congress has decided to give Sandur ticket to Bellary MP E Tukaram's wife Annapurna while candidates for Shiggaon and Channapatna will be decided later, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday, noting that the party has made all necessary preparations for the November 13 Assembly bypolls in these segments.

To a question on demands to give the Channapatna ticket to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's brother and former Congress MP from Bangalore Rural D K Suresh, the CM said, "his name is also there, let's see what will be decided." The last date for filing nominations is October 25, and the final date for withdrawal of papers is October 30. By-polls for Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna are necessitated, as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) to Lok Sabha in May elections. "We have made all the preparations (for bypolls), probably candidates may be announced today. The Sandur candidate has been decided, we will give the ticket to Tukaram's wife. Candidates for Shiggaon and Channapatna are likely to be decided today," Siddaramaiah told reporters here. While the BJP has already announced its candidates for Sandur and Shiggaon segments, the party has ceded the high profile Channapatna seat to its alliance partner JD(S), which is yet to announce its candidate.

To a question on demands to give Channapatna ticket to Deputy CM Shivakumar's brother D K Suresh, the CM said, "his name is also there, let's see what will be decided." Both Shivakumar and Suresh have said that there is pressure on them to field the latter as Congress candidate from Channapatna.