JOIN USTicket for children: top Cong leaders intensify lobbying
Senior Congress leaders lobbying to get their children or relatives tickets for the May 12 Assembly polls, made a beeline to meet AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, who had an open-day on Monday.
Venugopal, along with AICC secretary Sake Sailajanath, made himself available for leaders who wanted to share their opinions ahead of the elections.
Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy who wants his the Jayanagar constituency ticket for his daughter Soumya Reddy, Urban Development Minister Roshan Baig who wants a ticket for his son Ruman Baig and Animal Husbandry Minister A Manju whose son Manthar Gowda is a ticket aspirant, were among senior leaders who met Venugopal.
At least 30 Congress leaders are seeking tickets for children and family members. This includes Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who wants to field his son Dr Yathindra from the Varuna Assembly seat. The father-son duo has already started campaigning.
The open-day exercise is being seen as Venugopal's attempt to ensure leaders are heard even as the final decision of giving tickets to sons and daughters has been left to the party's high command.
According to sources, Baig urged Venugopal to give Ruman the Hebbal ticket. Apparently, Baig even offered to shift from Shivajinagar, which he currently represents, to Hebbal, so that his son can contest from Shivajinagar.
Reddy made a bid to get his daughter the Jayanagar ticket, where former Union Minister K Rahman Khan wants his son Mansoor Ali Khan to contest. It is also learnt that Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G Parameshwara wants his close aide and the party's OBC cell chief M C Venugopal to get the Jayanagar ticket.
Venugopal is learnt to have assured leaders that the high command would taken an appropriate decision on tickets. The first list of candidates is expected to be out before April 15.
Venugopal also received inputs from ministers and some ticket aspirants on the prevailing mood in various districts of the state. He made note of the party's strengths and weaknesses, sources said.