Shocked to get Congress ticket for Davangere: Shamanur Shivashankarappa.

Bengaluru: While certain Congress candidates are fighting for tickets to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, former minister and MLA Shamanur Shivashankarappa said he was surprised that he had been given a ticket to contest from Davangere parliamentary seat.

The veteran Congress leader said he was shocked on Saturday evening when he got information that he got a ticket to contest from Davangere seat which is presently held by Mr G.M. Siddeshwar. "I never aspired to contest the LS polls nor filed an application seeking the ticket. I don't know how I got the ticket".

Indirectly attacking the state Congress unit, Mr Shamanur said he was unceremoniously dropped from the ministry by the previous government headed by Chief Mnister Siddaramaiah on the grounds of 'old age' and 'non-performance'. But, these two aspects didn't come for consideration while allotting the ticket to contest for the Lok Sabha. Already, he has been Lok Sabha member once and won the Assembly seats for five consecutive times. "I will be meeting state Congress leaders in Bengaluru to discuss about it. However, I will contest if the party high command wants me to".

He ruled out recommending his son and former minister, Mr S.S. Mallikarjun for the Davangere seat and said children would not listen to what they say. The high command was free to give the ticket any candidate of their choice and he would never interfere in it. He would work for the victory of the candidate named by party bosses, he added.

It may be mentioned here that there had been infighting among candidates in some parliamentary constituencies to secure the ticket for the LS polls. But, it is a different story as far as Davangere LS constituency where a veteran Congressman is getting the ticket without filing an application.