Bengaluru: Confusion surrounding three Lok Sabha constituencies i.e. Tumakuru, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, and Uttara Kannada, has forced the Congress party to postpone the release of its list of candidates to March 22. Earlier, it was announced that the list would be announced on March 20.
According to sources in the KPCC, the Congress’ list of probable candidates is ready, but AICC president Rahul Gandhi has postponed the screening committee meeting from March 20 to 22. “He (Gandhi) will be campaigning in the states which are going for voting in the first phase, instead of holding the meeting. He wants the Congress leaders to carry out the campaign collectively. This is the cause for the delay,” said a party leader.
“The local Congress leaders are pressurizing the JDS to leave the Tumakuru, Udupi-Chikkamagaluru and Uttara Kannada constituencies where they have no base. RaGa wants the party’s state leaders to negotiate with the JDS leadership in this regard,” he added.
A senior Congress leader conceded that the probable candidates are camping in Delhi instead of reaching out the voters. “This is a big issue with the Congress every time. The BJP is already in war mode and are reaching out to the voters. By the time we start campaigning, they will be in the third round,” he explained.
