Cong denies Council poll ticket to Ibrahim

The Congress high command has set aside the repeated requests by Siddaramaiah that his associate C M Ibrahim be fielded as one of the candidates for the June 11 elections to the Council from the Assembly. 

It has fielded four senior leaders - sitting MLC Motamma, former MP Iqbal Saradagi, K Govindaraju and former MLA M R Seetharam - as the candidates. Siddaramaiah had lobbied hard for a ticket to Ibrahim. 

Siddaramaiah, the Congress legislature party leader, failed to get a ticket for Ibrahim as many seniors in the party had petitioned Sonia Gandhi not to entertain ‘migrants’ in the party, while selecting candidates. 

‘Migrants’ should fight ‘direct’ elections rather than ‘easily become’ MLCs, was the seniors’ argument. Ibrahim rejoined the Congress after quitting the JD(S) in May 2008. 

Soon after the announcement of the final list of candidates, Ibrahim claimed he had never sought a ticket. “It was Madhusudan Mistry, the party in-charge of Karnataka, who had promised me a ticket. Of course, Siddaramaiah is upset and such a development is not good for the party. I will take up the matter with Sonia Gandhi,” he said at the residence of Siddaramaiah. 

Siddaramaiah held a protracted meeting with his followers in the evening. Seetharam visited Siddaramaiah’s residence seeking his support to win the polls. 

The Congress, which has 71 MLAs, by its own strength can win three seats of the total 11 which have fallen vacant. But it has fielded Seetharam, the director of MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, as its fourth candidate. The Congress can manage to win the fourth seat by transferring the surplus second preference votes of its MLAs. Also other party MLAs may vote for the Congress’ fourth nominee, according to KPCC president G Parameshwara. Sources in the Congress said Seetharam may approach the six independents to vote for him. 

The BJP, which has fielded six candidates, has announced that it will not transfer its extra votes to candidates of other parties. The BJP will be left with eight extra votes after allotting 19 votes for each of its candidates. The JD(S), which has 26 MLAs, will be left with six extra votes after winning a seat. 

Motamma, who was a CWC member, is contesting the Council elections for the third term. She was minister and MLA from Mudigere. 

Rani Satish, former MLC, is another disappointed leader who failed to get the ticket.

Iqbal Saradagi, former MP, did not contest the 2009 Lok Sabha election as Mallikarjun Kharge wanted to contest from Gulbarga. Hence, the party has given him the ticket to contest the Council polls, it is said. 

Govindaraju, a Vokkaliga, had unsuccessfully contested the election from Shivajinagar Assembly constituency in 1999. He is the president of the Karnataka Olympic Association. He is said to be enjoying the support of S M Krishna. 

JD(S) undecided

The JD(S), however, is yet to finalise its candidate. The party chief H D Deve Gowda held consultations with senior leaders till late Thursday evening on candidate selection.

Gowda, sources said, is likely to issue ‘B’ form to the official candidate on Friday morning to file the nomination papers.