Congress scrambles for candidate to field against Srinivas Prasad

Even as former minister V Srinivas Prasad’s candidature for the by-election to the Nanjangud SC reserved Assembly constituency has become almost certain, following his announcement that he will join the BJP on January 2, the Congress is scouting for a candidate to contest against him to save face in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s home district.

The by-election has been facilitated by the resignation of Prasad from the Assembly on October 17, following the reshuffling of the Siddaramaiah Cabinet in June. He also resigned from the primary membership of the Congress and has already conducted three ‘Swabhimani Samaveshas’ — in Nanjangud, Chamarajanagar and T Narsipur.

As Prasad’s candidature had become certain even before his announcement of joining the BJP, the Congress was readying to field Sunil Bose, son of PWD and District in-charge Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa. Bose, also an accused in a bribery case in connection with a mining case, had become active and even hosted a sumptuous non-vegetarian lunch for Congress workers from Nanjangud constituency at the foot of Chamundi Hill on the pretext of an annual religious ritual.

Both Dr Mahadevappa and Siddaramaiah have been travelling across Nanjangud constituency doling out projects after projects since a couple of weeks. Prasad, who grew a bit anxious about the involvement of Dr Mahadevappa and Bose in Nanjangud, held his third Swabhimani Samavesha in the neighbouring T Narsipur town, the Assembly constituency of Dr Mahadevappa to exhibit his strength.

Prasad, who has represented the Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency five times, is a leader to reckon with, in the region, which comprises Nanjangud and T Narsipur also.

In the wake of the arrest of engineers S C Jayachandra and T N Chikkarayappa by the CBI, following a raid by the Income Tax sleuths, both Dr Mahadevappa and Siddaramaiah are a worried lot. It is believed that the arrested engineers are the confidantes of the duo and there is fear of skeletons tumbling out of their cupboards. It is suspected that the engineers would spell out the names of a few persons close to the duo, including Bose. Hence, the candidature of Bose is in doldrums.

The only alternative in sight is Chamarajanagar MP R Dhruvanarayan for the Congress. However, Dhruvanarayan is reluctant to risk his career, built carefully over the past one decade. But, efforts are on to convince him to take on Prasad in the polls expected to be held in February.