Congress holds parleys to select candidate for Nanjangud bypoll

Chamarajanagar MP Dhruvanarayan says he is not an aspirant

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s residence at T K Layout here was abuzz with discussions, consultations and parleys throughout the day in connection with the finalisation of the candidate for the by-election to Nanjangud Assembly constituency.

The date for the by-election to Nanjangud, necessitated by the resignation of Srinivas Prasad, is not announced yet. The state election commission is expected to make announcement in this regard soon.  

It is expected that the state government will appeal to the Election Commission to conduct the by-election to both Nanjangud and Gundlupet Assembly constituencies in the first week of March.

A team of three observers of the party - former chairman of Kannada Development Authority L Hanumanthaiah, ex-MLA Nanjayyanamath and ex-MP Narayanaswamy - has been formed to decide the candidate for the polls. Siddaramaiah and MP R Dhruvanarayan were present when the team was holding discussion with party workers.

While some leaders stressed on party ticket for Sunil Bose, son of PWD Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa, claiming that he would be the suitable candidate to take on former minister V Srinivas Prasad, some others said, Dr Mahadevappa himself should contest. They were of the opinion that if Dr Mahaevappa wins in Nanjangud, he can resign from his T Narsipur constituency and get his son Sunil Bose elected from his home turf. According to sources, Siddaramaiah is not keen on fielding Dr Mahadevappa as it may lead to another by-election.
The rest were suggesting the names of a couple of other candidates, including Chamarajanagar MP R Dhruvanarayan, Taluk Panchayat former president Nagesh Raj and Kalale Keshavamurthy, who is at present in the JD(S).

Chamarajanagar MP R Dhruvanarayan, whose name is being floated as the candidate for Nanjangud by-election, clarified that he is not an aspirant.

“I have a two-and-a-half years term left as MP, so I have made my stand clear to the
party leaders. Regarding the Gundlupet by-election, it is better to field a member of
the family of the late minister H S Mahadeva Prasad,” he said.