The Congress on Saturday announced its third list of 43 candidates for the May 10 Assembly polls in Karnataka, and turned down the request of senior leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to contest from the second seat – Kolar. Congress Candidate 3rd List: No seat for Siddaramaiah and Umashree.
Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who joined the Congress on Friday, has got the ticket from Athani in Belagavi district. Also, senior JD(S) leader KM Shivalinge Gowda, who had joined the Congress recently, has been fielded from Arsikere. The Congress has announced tickets to at least 16 fresh faces in the third list.
They include former Union Minister and Opposition’s nominee for the Vice President polls Margaret Alva’s son Nivedit Alva, and former state Minister Motamma’s daughter Nayana Jyothi Jhawar. The party on March 25 announced the first list of 124 candidates, and second list for 42 constituencies (including in Melukote where it’s backing a candidate of a different party) on April 6.
With the third list of 43 candidates, the party has so far announced the nominees for 209 out of total 224 seats. The Congress has fielded Kothur G Manjunath from Kolar, the second seat from where Mr Siddaramaiah wanted to contest. While Mr Siddaramaiah’s name was announced as candidate from his home turf of Varuna in the first list itself, the Congress legislature party leader had maintained that he wished to contest from Kolar too, as the second seat, if the party high command agrees.
Mr Siddaramaiah who currently represents Badami in Bagalkote district, had earlier announced that he will be contesting from Kolar, but backtracked after party leadership reportedly cautioned him regarding the “risks” there, following which he opted for his earlier constituency Varuna, which is currently represented by his son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah.
However, Mr Siddaramaiah under pressure from supporters and workers to contest from Kolar too, has been maintaining that he has expressed desire to the party leadership to contest from there, as his second seat, to the Congress high command and it is up to them to decide. Several senior state Congress leaders had reportedly opposed Mr Siddaramaiah contesting from two seats.
Congress has given a shock to the actress and former minister Umashree, who is aspirant for the Theradal Assembly constituency ticket. This time the ticket was given to Siddappa Konnoor from Theradala assembly constituency instead of Umashree. Siddappa’s ticket has been announced in the wake of pressure on the Congress to give tickets to local leaders, except former minister Umashree.
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Also, it seems that Siddaramaiah had given information about ticket distribution to Umashree about not giving tickets a day before. Similarly, Umashree, who had arrived at Siddaramaiah’s residence yesterday, held a discussion. At this time, information was available that Siddaramaiah had promised to give appropriate status when the party came to power. It was said that Umashree also agreed to this.
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