Bengaluru: An analysis of the list of Congress candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in the state proves that Congress legislature party(CLP) leader and former chief minister, Siddaramaiah continues to enjoy an excellent equation with the party central leadership and has ensured that his loyalists figure in the list.
Sources in the party said that except for the Dakshina Kannada seat where the party choose a young face, Mithun Rai who was hand-picked by Water Resources Minister, D.K. Shivakumar instead of Ramanath Rai recommended by Siddaramaiah, the former CM managed to have his way by getting his nominess approved. Even for Dharwad where the party was considering a Muslim face, I.G. Sanadi or his son, Shakir Sanadi, Siddaramaiah prevailed on central leaders to field former minister Vinay Kulkarni, sources added.
It is no secret that to ensure that Mysuru, his hometown remained with the Congress, Siddaramaiah went to the extent of sacrificing Tumakuru where sitting Congress MP, S.P. Muddahanumegowda was denied the ticket to allow JD (S) supremo Deve Gowda contest leading to howls of protest from local Congressmen.
It was also Siddaramaiah who suggested that if the party fielded more Lingayat candidates against the BJP’s Lingayat nominees, it had a better chance of winning particularly after the victories in the Jamkhandi Assembly and Ballari Lok Sabha bypolls last year where Lingayats backed Congress candidates, sources added.
