Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 26: Congress party has begun preparations for next year's assembly election. There is information that the party's leadership has given green signal to four sitting MLAs in Dakshina Kannada district. While these MLAs have been orally told to begin field work to cement their victories from now on, it has chosen to keep the other three seats on tenterhooks.

The above four are among 80 Congress legislators from all over the state whose candidatures have been confirmed in advance. The four who have got thumbs up signal are Mangaluru MLA, U T Khader, Bantwal MLA, B Ramanath Rai, Mangaluru South MLA, J R Lobo and Mangaluru North MLA, B A Mohiuddin Bava. The party leadership is yet to announce its decision about the other three constituencies, Puttur, Beltangady, and Moodbidri.

J R Lobo, Ramanath Rai, U T Khader & Mohiuddin Bava

The only other constituency in the district happens to be Sullia, where Dr Raghu of the Congress was defeated by BJP candidate, Angara, thrice in succession. Although the party has adopted the policy of not issuing ticket to defeated candidate, its past candidate here, Dr Raghu, has a chance of getting the ticket as the margin of his defeat has shown a steady decline.

Beltangady MLA, Vasant Bangera, had said last time that he would not be entering the election fray on account of ill health. Still, the party had put up his candidature. Harish Kumar, who was earlier defeated as Congress candidate from this constituency, is district Congress president now. Therefore, it would be interesting to watch what option the party will exercise.

In Puttur constituency, sitting MLA, Shakuntala T Shetty, is facing competition from former block Congress president, A Hemanath Shetty, chairperson of Karnataka State Social Welfare Board, Divyaprabha Chilthadka, and former block president, Fazlul Rahim.

In Moodbidri, a new candidate may be fielded as Abhayachandra Jain has announced that he will not be contesting next election. Youth Congress district president, Mithun Rai, and MLA, Invan D'Souza, have evinced interest in this constituency. The party has to decide about its candidate here.

It is thought that the decision of the Congress is influenced by the grassroot level survey about winnable candidates it had got done eight months back. The party had planned to issue tickets to those who registered progress in popularity during the period after the survey.