Lok Sabha polls: Congress keeps BJP MLAs as ticket options in Karnataka

ST Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar may be roped in if the Congress finds that they are the best choices.

Bengaluru: The Congress, which is bent on finding the right Lok Sabha candidates in the state, has kept open the option of giving tickets to BJP lawmakers ST Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar, according to discussions going on in the party. 

According to sources, the names of Somashekhar and Hebbar came up even as the Congress has had to put on hold ticket decisions in several constituencies where the party high command has disagreements with candidates suggested by the state unit. 

The two 'sulking' BJP MLAs have been seen hobnobbing with Congress leaders of late. The duo may be roped in if the Congress finds that they are the best choices. 

Somashekhar, the Yeshwanthpur MLA who is also a Vokkaliga, may be considered for the Mysore Lok Sabha segment. As a minister in the previous BJP government, Somashekhar was in charge of the Mysuru district, making the segment a familiar turf for him. 

Hebbar, the Yellapur MLA, is a Brahmin who may give the Congress a fighting chance in Uttara Kannada. 

For Mysore, the Congress has in-house options such as M Lakshman, Vijaykumar and Dr Sushruh Gowda. In Uttara Kannada, former Khanapur MLA Anjali Nimbalkar is an option. 

The party is taking time to decide tickets in constituencies where there is opposition to candidates who are almost likely to make it. There are also cases in which the Congress wants to decide the ticket based on who is fielded by the saffron party.

The Chitradurga ticket, for example, was supposed to go to former MP BN Chandrappa, but this is on hold. On Saturday, a delegation of Madiga leaders petitioned Chief Minister Siddaramaiah not to give Chandrappa the Chitradurga ticket. They asked the party to field Excise Minister RB Timmapur’s son Vinay. 

There is also a stiff fight within the party for tickets in a few constituencies. In Dharwad, MLA Vinay Kulkarni’s wife Shivaleela is up against Rajat Ullagaddimath. Similarly in Bagalkot, MLA Vijayananad Kashappanavar’s wife Veena is seeking the ticket against former minister Ajaykumar Sarnaik.