Bypolls: Congress favours 'son-rising'

Of five candidates three are party leaders children

The Congress has not hesitated to show that it favours dynasty politics. Of the five candidates for the bypolls to the Assembly it has selected, three are sons of senior party leaders.

Priyank Kharge, son of Union Minister Mallikharjun Kharge, Priya Krishna, son of Congress MLA M Krishnappa and T K Yogeesh, son of former Congress MLA T M Krishnappa are in the fray.

KPCC President R V Deshpande, in a press conference, on Tuesday, announced the list and exuded confidence that the party would win all the five seats in the by-elections. Party leaders including the union ministers elected from the State would be roped in for the campaign. But no national-level leader of the party would campaign.

Priyank, Priya Krishna and Yogeesh are facing the poll battle for the first time. Priyank Kharge, 27, is contesting from Chittapur seat, which fell vacant following his father’s resignation. He does not approve the fact that his father’s name played role in getting the party ticket. “I have been in the party for the last 10 years. I worked in the students wing of the party and now in the youth wing,” he said. Priyank is a BA graduate and runs a software firm in Bangalore. He was into animation for a while and learnt a software on geographical information system.  He filed the nomination papers on Tuesday.

Priya Krishna, 26, is entering politics by contesting from Govindarajanagar, Bangalore. An MA, LLB graduate looks after his father’s real-estate business. He is contesting against Muzrai and Housing Minister V Somanna, who joined the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections.

Yogeesh, a 42-year old agriculturist, is son of former MLA T V Krishnappa, who represented Channapatna in the Legislative Assembly twice.  He said his family’s contributions to the constituency would work in his favour. Former MLAs S Jayanna and C M Lingappa are contesting from Kollegal and Ramanagaram respectively.



In the fray

* Chittapur: Priyank Kharge
*Govindarajanagar: Priya Krishna
* Ramanagaram: C M Lingappa
* Channapatna: T K Yogeesh
* Kollegal: S Jayanna