From Our Special correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Mar 14: In a do or die mode of battle, the ruling Congress party in Karnataka has decided to draft at least 15 ministers to different parts of the two assembly constituencies of Nanjangud and Gundlupet slated to face by-elections on April 9.
The ruling Congress party, which is reeling under the debacle in the recent assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa, is apparently determined to retain both the seats even though their term will be hardly 13 months as the State will be going for assembly elections in May next year.
The ruling Congress party in the State has entrusted the responsibility of monitoring the election campaign and polling in both constituencies.
The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dr G Parameshwara, who also holds the Home portfolio, said there are 14 zilla panchayat seats in the two assembly constituencies and each Minister would be given the charge of each seat.
One Minister would be given overall charge of two constituencies, he said.
The KPCC chief said the Congress defeat in four states has no relevance in two by-elections and the party would mobilise all its resources to ensure victory of candidates.
Kalale Keshavamurthy, who contested the 2013 Assembly polls on JD(S) ticket in Nanjangud constituency, is the Congress candidate in this elections and he will face former Congress minister V Srinivas Prasad, who is now contesting on BJP ticket.
In Gundlupet, Congress is fielding GeetaMahadeva Prasad, wife of the deceased minister H S Mahadeva Prasad, and is hoping to ride on the sympathy wave.
The BJP has not yet announced its candidate for the Gundlupet seat.
The third major political party JD(S) is expected to take a decision on whether to field its candidate or abstain in view of the short duration for the elected MLAs as it is believed to be in two minds whether to spend its resources and energies.
The JD(S) national president H D Deve Gowda is expected to take a final decision on whether to field the party candidates or not.