<p>The Congress has decided to field former minister Vinay Kulkarni from Dharwad Lok Sabha seat and H B Manjappa from Davangere segment, replacing party veteran Shamanuru Shivashankarappa.</p>.<p>The party delayed announcement of the candidate for Dharwad as there were other two strong contenders - Youth Congress leader Shakir Sanadi and NWKRTC chairman Sadananda Dangannanavar.</p>.<p>Though the state unit had recommended the names of Shakir Sanadi or his father, former MP I G Sanadi or Dangannavar, the party zeroed in on Vinay Kulkarni, who strongly lobbied for the ticket with the party top brass here. He threatened to contest as a rebel candidate if he was denied the ticket.</p>.<p>Muslim leaders demanded that this seat should be given to their community leader as Congress always had given tickets for two LS seats in Karnataka to Muslim candidates.</p>.<p>Since the party fielded Rizwan Arshad from Bengaluru Central, another leader from the community should be fielded from Dharwad seat as this seat has large number of minority voters, demanded the community leaders. The state leaders failed to arrive consensus and left the final decision to the party top brass.</p>.<p>Manjappa is the Davangere district unit president of the Congress. Though the Congress announced the candidature of party veteran Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, he refused to contest, saying he was too old to fight election. Even there was also talk of giving ticket to his son, former minister S S Mallikarjun, he too backed off at last moment.</p>.<p>Manjappa will be up against BJP sitting MP and former union minister G M Siddeshwara. The Congress candidate is a close aide of Mallikarjun. Manjappa belongs to the Kurubas community. It is said that the party high command was not keen on fielding Mallikarjun. But he will be the party incharge for the Davangere constituency.</p>.<p>There is also talk that Mallikarjun was not keen on contesting, given the high-voltage campaign launched by the saffron party in the constituency.</p>
<p>The Congress has decided to field former minister Vinay Kulkarni from Dharwad Lok Sabha seat and H B Manjappa from Davangere segment, replacing party veteran Shamanuru Shivashankarappa.</p>.<p>The party delayed announcement of the candidate for Dharwad as there were other two strong contenders - Youth Congress leader Shakir Sanadi and NWKRTC chairman Sadananda Dangannanavar.</p>.<p>Though the state unit had recommended the names of Shakir Sanadi or his father, former MP I G Sanadi or Dangannavar, the party zeroed in on Vinay Kulkarni, who strongly lobbied for the ticket with the party top brass here. He threatened to contest as a rebel candidate if he was denied the ticket.</p>.<p>Muslim leaders demanded that this seat should be given to their community leader as Congress always had given tickets for two LS seats in Karnataka to Muslim candidates.</p>.<p>Since the party fielded Rizwan Arshad from Bengaluru Central, another leader from the community should be fielded from Dharwad seat as this seat has large number of minority voters, demanded the community leaders. The state leaders failed to arrive consensus and left the final decision to the party top brass.</p>.<p>Manjappa is the Davangere district unit president of the Congress. Though the Congress announced the candidature of party veteran Shamanuru Shivashankarappa, he refused to contest, saying he was too old to fight election. Even there was also talk of giving ticket to his son, former minister S S Mallikarjun, he too backed off at last moment.</p>.<p>Manjappa will be up against BJP sitting MP and former union minister G M Siddeshwara. The Congress candidate is a close aide of Mallikarjun. Manjappa belongs to the Kurubas community. It is said that the party high command was not keen on fielding Mallikarjun. But he will be the party incharge for the Davangere constituency.</p>.<p>There is also talk that Mallikarjun was not keen on contesting, given the high-voltage campaign launched by the saffron party in the constituency.</p>
