Ticket race for Bangalore seats picks up in Congress

M Narayanaswamy

BL Shankar

Former ministers MLC M Narayanaswamy, B L Shankar and H M Revanna are vying for the Bangalore North ticket from the Congress, amid speculation that JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda plans to field himself by asking the Congress to cede the seat. DH photos

The Congress is faced with several ticket aspirants for the Bangalore North and Bangalore Central seats, while it stares at a dearth of takers for Bangalore South — the three Lok Sabha segments in the city the BJP won in 2014.

AICC secretary Yashomati Thakur held talks with the party cadre, including ticket aspirants and office bearers, to understand the party’s prospects for the Bangalore North, Bangalore Central and Bangalore South seats.

According to sources, former ministers BL Shankar, HM Revanna, MLC M Narayanaswamy, local party leader M Rajkumar and Raksha Ramaiah (son of former minister MR Seetharam) are vying for the Bangalore North ticket. This, even amid speculation that JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda planned to field himself here by asking the Congress the cede this seat.

“The Congress has 5 MLAs in the Bangalore North parliamentary constituency. So, we’ve asked the leadership not to cede the seat to the JD(S),” the party’s Yeshwanthpur MLA S T Somashekhar told reporters. “But we’re okay with an alliance here and we will work toward the victory of anybody who gets contest, even if it is Deve Gowda.”

In Bangalore Central, it is said former minister R Roshan Baig, MLC Rizwan Arshad, Rajya Sabha member BK Hariprasad, former top cop HT Sangliana and former MLC Saleem Ahmed are in the race for the ticket.

The party is said to be facing a shortage of ticket aspirants for the Bangalore South seat, which is considered a BJP stronghold. Late Ananth Kumar had represented this segment for six consecutive times. Only one name doing the rounds in the Congress circle is that of former MLA Priya Krishna, son of former minister M Krishnappa. The party is said to be open to the idea of ceding this seat to the JD(S).

Thakur and other leaders also took stock of the Bangalore Rural seat. “I’m ready to give up the seat if the party high command so decides,” incumbent DK Suresh told reporters.

“But I’m confident that all sitting MPs will get the ticket because we won in 2014 against the Modi wave and we’ve performed well,” he said.

DH News Service