Bengaluru: The Congress is favouring its senior minister Ramalinga Reddy’s daughter Sowmya Reddy, a former MLA, to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Bangalore South, which the BJP has held as its bastion since 1991.
The Congress wants to go by the opinion of Reddy, the Muzrai Minister, who represents BTM Layout in the city and is counted among the senior-most lawmakers.
According to sources, Reddy was asked to attend the Congress’ screening committee meeting held on Monday evening. AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and other committee members sought Reddy’s opinion on fielding Sowmya.
Apparently, the Congress’ internal survey is favouring Sowmya for the ticket.
Sources close to Reddy said he sought some time to get back. Reddy has convened a meeting of leaders from Bangalore South on Wednesday to seek their opinion. It is also said that the senior minister has some wariness about fielding his daughter.
Sowmya, 40, represented the Jayanagar Assembly constituency. She lost the 2023 Assembly election heartbreakingly by just 16 votes against BJP’s C K Ramamurthy.
The Congress is said to have also discussed the name of party spokesperson Niketh Raj Mourya for the Bangalore South ticket.
The BJP has not announced the Bangalore South ticket, but there are indications that the incumbent Tejasvi Surya may be re-nominated.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Congress fielded veteran B K Hariprasad against Surya, a newbie then. Hariprasad lost by 3.30 lakh votes.
(Published 12 March 2024, 10:22 IST)
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