Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, Mar 9: Sons and daughters of leading Congress politicians are now aspirants to receive tickets in various constituencies of Karnataka for the upcoming Assembly polls.
Even though, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President G Parameshwara was vocal about the 'one family, one ticket' policy, party's screening committee headed by Madhusudhan Mistry prioritizes winnability of the candidate. The committee has clarified that there is no limit fixed on number of people allowed from a family to contest elections.
KPCC chief Parameshwara and CM Siddaramaiah
With this, for the first time in the state history, incumbent Chief Minister (CM) Siddaramaiah and his son Dr Yathindra are likely to contest in the same Assembly election. Siddaramaiah is likely to vacate his Varuna seat for his son Yathindra and may shift to Chamundeshwari, his original seat in Mysuru district.
“There has been a demand from the public that Yathindra should contest from Varuna. I have decided to go back to my old seat Chamundeshwari. My son will contest only if the Congress high command agrees to his nomination. I don’t decide the tickets,” Siddaramaiah told a news channel.
Over 15 ministers and top leaders have asked for two seats – one for them and one for their children, sources from the KPCC reveal. PWD minister Dr H C Mahadevappa’s son Suneel Bose is an aspirant from T Narasipura in Mysore district, currently held by his father. Mahadevappa is planning to shift to CV Raman Nagara seat in central Bengaluru.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs minister T B Jayachandra’s son Santhosh is hoping to contest from Chikkanayakanahalli in Tumkur district. Urban Development minister R Roshan Baig has asked the party to give his seat to son Rehan Baig and send him to Rajya Sabha.
Former Union minister K Rahman Khan wants the party to field his son Mansoor Ali Khan from Jayanagar in south Bengaluru. Home minister R Ramalinga Reddy’s daughter Soumya Reddy has also asked for the same seat. Congress veteran C K Jaffer Sharief is once again trying to field his grandson Rehman Sharief from Hebbal in central Bengaluru. He had lost last time to the BJP.
Former chief minister M Veerappa Moily is seeking a ticket for his son Harsh Moily from Karkala in Udupi district. Margaret Alva has been demanding a ticket for her youngest son Nivedith Alva from Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district.
Mistry along with screening committee member and Chhattisgarh MP Tamradhwaj Sahu and Assam MP Gaurav Gogoi arrived in Bengaluru on Thursday on a two-day visit to hold preliminary meetings with the party's observers and some aspirants.
Responding to 'one family, one ticket' policy, Tamradhwaj Sahu confirmed there is no such criterion.
Mistry too maintained that the issue of giving tickets to sons and daughters of party leaders has not yet reached the screening committee. Hence, it’s hypothetical, so we cannot anticipate anything, he said.
KPCC has already issued over 3000 applications to ticket aspirants. Mistry says that the ticket applications will be scrutinized by a state committee and then sent to the screening committee. The high command will finalise the candidates.
"Every party wants to come to power. Very naturally, winnability of a candidate will be the primary criterion," Mistry told media.