News Mania / Piyal Chatterjee / 22nd October 2024
According to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the ruling Congress has prepared for the November 13 Assembly by-elections in three state segments and the candidates would probably be revealed later today. He stated that although Annapurna, the wife of Bellary MP E Tukaram, has been selected to receive the Sandur ticket, the party will choose the candidates for the Shiggaon and Channapatna segments.
Nominations must be submitted by October 25th, and papers must be withdrawn by October 30th. Following the election of their respective MPs to the Lok Sabha in May—Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S), former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai of the BJP, and Congressman E Tukaram—by-elections are required for Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna.
“We have made all the preparations (for bypolls), probably candidates may be announced today. The Sandur candidate has been decided, we will give the ticket to Tukaram’s wife. Candidates for Shiggaon and Channapatna are likely to be decided today,” Siddaramaiah told reporters .
The BJP gave up the prominent Channapatna seat to its alliance partner JD(S), which has not yet nominated a candidate, even though the party has already announced its candidates for the Sandur and Shiggaon sectors.When asked if Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s brother, former Bangalore Rural Congress MP D K Suresh, should be given a Channapatna ticket, the chief minister responded, “his name is also there, let’s see what will be decided.” Suresh and Shivakumar have both stated that they are under pressure to run the latter as the Channapatna Congress candidate.
Asked about speculations that BJP leader C P Yogeeshwara, who resigned as MLC on Monday, joining Congress and contesting from Channapatna, Siddaramaiah said, “I haven’t spoken to him. Our president (state Congress president Shivakumar) is from Channapatna region, let’s see what he decides. I have said the ticket should be given to a suitable candidate. He will discuss and decide.” Further responding to a question, will Congress induct Yogeeshwara into the party, he said, “whoever comes accepting the Congress’ ideology, we will take them in.” After resigning, Yogeeshwara on Monday had not ruled out chances of him joining Congress. “….I have not contacted anyone (from Congress) so far and there is no such intention. But I can’t say what will happen tomorrow,” he said.
The actor-turned-politician also stated that he intends to run as an independent after the BJP gave the Channapatana seat to coalition partner JD(S). He would make a final decision after speaking with his fans and employees. He even urged leaders of the BJP-JD(S) to think about offering him a ticket from the saffron party.
According to party sources, there were plans to run Yogeeshwara on a JD(S) ticket, but he appeared uninterested in doing so and preferred Kumaraswamy to back him as a BJP candidate, which was unacceptable to the latter and his party. The chief minister stated that “preparations have been made and we will begin the relief work for those affected by the rains in Bengaluru and other parts of the state.”
