Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (DV)

Bengaluru, May 29: The Congress high command has selected former KPCC president Allum Veerabhadrappa, youth Congress president Rizwan Arshad, former minister R B Thimmapur and Veena Achaiah as the candidates for the Legislative Council elections.

The senior Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president Dr G Parameshwara finalized these candidates on Saturday, May 28.
The candidates are likely to file their nominations on May 31. The AICC released the list on Saturday evening.

It is reported that there is strong influence from the Congress leaders from Hyderabad-Karnataka region in getting ticket to Pradesh Congress Committee former president Allum Veerabhadrappa.

File pic : Rizwan with RaGa

Allum and Veena

It is also said that MP K H Muniyappa, MP Chandrappa had lobbied in favour of R B Thimmapur. Thimmapur, who was minister in the S M Krishna Cabinet, belongs to the Scheduled Caste.

Youth Congress president Rizwan Arshad is from minority community and a sincere follower of Rahul Gandhi. Rizwan also had contested for Lok Sabha election from Bengaluru Central.

Veena Achaiah was preferred as the party wanted to give representation to Kodagu, which is presently a BJP-dominated district. She is now the chairperson of Karnataka State Handicraft Development Corporation.

Mohan Kondaji, G C Chandrashekar, P R Ramesh and C M Lingappa were also lobbying hard to become the party candidates, the election for which is scheduled on June 10.

The party has not finalized names for 3 seats to be filled through nominations.
The choice of State Congress chief Parameshwara was G C Chandrashekar. But the party finally preferred to give a representation to the Youth Congress and hence selected Rizwan. Between Kondaji and Allum Veerabhadrappa, the party settled for a senior leader. Both are Lingayats.