Congress to field candidate in Shimoga

The Congress has cleared the air by announcing that it will field a candidate in the Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency. It was rumoured that the Congress might allow the JD(S) to contest in the constituency, as it was unable to pick a candidate, after two senior leaders -- Kagodu Thimmappa and Kimmane Ratnakar backed out of the race.

KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao on Thursday said that his party would field a candidate in the constituency. Incidentally, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda had dropped hints that his party might field its former MLA Madhu Bangarappa in Shimoga against BJP’s B Y Raghavendra. The Congress is however yet to finalise its candidate. Former chairman of Bhadra Command Area Development Authority, H S Sundaresh and former MLA Belur Gopalakrishna, are in the race.