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Hebbal by-poll: Two Congmen vying for ticket

Revanna, Venkatesh key bypoll contenders; Jaffer Sharief bats for his grandson Rehaman Sharief

BENGALURU: Two senior members of the Legislative Council, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s confidant and former minister H M Revanna, are vying for the ruling party’s ticket ahead of the by-poll in Hebbal Assembly constituency on February 13, but veteran leader C.K. Jaffer Sharief’s grandson Rehaman Sharief, could make it daunting for top leaders to arrive at a consensus on selection of the candidate.

Bypolls are scheduled to be held to fill three vacancies in the Assembly (Hebbal, Bidar and Devadurga) following the demise of candidates representing these constituencies.

In Hebbal, however, minorities are demanding that Mr Rehaman Sharief, who unsuccessfully contested in 2013, be given the ticket because the ruling party did not filed a single candidate belonging to minority communities in last month’s elections to the Legislative Council.

In fact, Mr Jaffer Sharief called on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah last month and pleaded with him to give his grandson another chance well before the date of polls was announced.

“In the just concluded polls to the upper House, the Congress did not field even a single candidate from Muslim community. Mr Rehaman Sharief lost in 2013 by a narrow margin. So, if you go by the convention, he should be natural choice of our party,” said a senior Muslim leader.

When contacted, Mr Jaffer Sharief told Deccan Chronicle that his grandson was frequently visiting Hebbal constituency even though he lost the previous poll. He was in touch with people, so he should be considered for the ticket.
“Let us see what leaders decide,” Mr Sharief said.

Mr Rehaman Sharief’s entry, however, could stall Mr Revanna’s plans to secure the ticket, and thus pose a problem a to the party’s top brass during selection of candidates. Besides Mr Revanna, ruling party chief whip in the Legislative Council Mr R.V. Venkatesh, too, seems keen to contest the Hebbal bypoll. Mr Revanna, who earlier contested and lost from Magadi constituency, has been nurturing Hebbal since 2008.

He has organized cultural events and has even toured the area extensively but had to yield to pressure tactics by Mr Sharief on the eve of polls to the Assembly in 2013.

Sources in the party said Mr Rehaman Sharief lost in 2013 because Mr Abdul Azeem of Janata Dal (Secular) snatched a lion’s share of votes of minorities. “This time, Mr Azeem will not contest, so we are confident that Mr Rehaman Sharief will win,” sources added.

( Source : deccan chronicle )
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