Karnataka Congress, BJP make astute choices for LS candidate lists

Determined to undo the sad story of 2019, when it won only one of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, the Congress, now ruling the state, is hoping to win as many as 20 seats in the upcoming general election. The aim is to derail the BJP in the latter’s only southern bastion.

With barely two months left for the Lok Sabha battle, both the Congress and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are busy finalising candidates for all constituencies.

Congress high command

Enthused by wins in elections to the Teachers Constituency and the Rajya Sabha, the Congress screening committee has held a second meeting to finalise the candidates. It was presided over by Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala.

According to Congress sources, a list of 23 candidates will be sent to the party high command for clearance. If all goes well, the first list of candidates will be announced within a week.

Recently, a dinner meeting was held at the residence of DK Suresh, currently the only Congress MP in the state. Suresh is the brother of state Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. It was attended by all the senior party leaders.

It is reliably learnt that candidates for all 28 constituencies have been discussed threadbare besides a strategy to come on top of the critical Lok Sabha battle.

The state cabinet ministers have been asked to work in their respective constituencies to make sure Congress candidates win in the Lok Sabha elections. They have been warned that failure will cost them heavily.

Making the right pick

But Congress sources admit the party is still having difficulties identifying candidates in 10 places including Bengaluru City.

A cautious Congress has decided to field war horses to ensure victory. Heavyweights including state ministers may be asked to contest the Lok Sabha polls to shore up the numbers.

Sources said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar met Congress president M Mallikarjuna Kharge in New Delhi and discussed election strategies. Kharge reportedly told them to aim at winning at least 20 of the 28 seats in Karnataka.

Cooperative Minister KN Rajanna has offered to be the Tumkuru candidate. The party is also asking PWD Minister Satish Jarkiholi to contest from Belagavi, Social Welfare Minister HC Mahadevappa from Chamarajanagar, Food and Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa from Kolar, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre from Bidar, MLC Salim Ahmed from Haveri and Siddaramaiah’s son Yatindra from Mysuru-Kodagu constituencies.

In turn, Mahadevappa wants a cabinet berth for his son and MLA Sunil Bose while Miniyappa has sought a ministerial post for his daughter and KGF MLA Rupakala Shashidhar.

BJP's plans

Likewise, the BJP is holding meetings to finalise candidates for 23 seats as ally Janata Dal (Secular) has sought five seats including Mandya, Hassan, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar and Chikkaballapura.

Informed sources say the BJP is also planning to release the first list of its candidates shortly. A BJP leader told The Federal that of the 25 sitting MPs, 15 might be fielded again but not the others.

“While some voluntarily opted out of contest assigning age and health factors, others have lost their popularity,” said a party functionary.

The BJP believes that the Election Commission might announce the Lok Sabha election schedule after March 13. The first list of BJP candidates may be out by March 10, or even earlier.

MPs confident

A senior BJP functionary told The Federal on the condition of anonymity: “In all probability, the first list of candidates will be announced by Saturday morning.”

Most sitting MPs are confident of getting ticket from their respective constituencies. The BJP knows that the 25 seats won in Karnataka in 2019 played a huge role in boosting the party’s nationwide Lok Sabha tally.

Recently, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, a four-time MP from Dharwad, and Ramesh Jigajinagi, a five-time MP from Vijayapura, voiced confidence in contesting again. They spoke after rumours broke out about their candidatures.

Jaishankar, Nirmala

There are reports that Joshi may be fielded from Uttara Kannada to so that former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who defected to the Congress but has returned to the BJP, to contest from Dharwad. There is speculation that Jigajinagi may be overlooked considering his age.

Despite claims by Joshi that Union ministers S Jaishankar and Nirmala Sitharaman maycontest the general elections from Karnataka, BJP sources deny the possibility.

“This is a farfetched imagination and the wish of some vested interests,” said a senior BJP leader, while refuting the possibility of Jaishankar contesting from Karnataka.