Bengaluru: The Congress has come to power in the state by joining hands with the JDS, but the oldest national party has not forgotten it’s disgraceful performance in the recently held assembly polls, specifically in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district where many heavyweights were trounced by the BJP opponents.
After this bitter defeat, the party is eyeing the parliamentary polls and the rat race for tickets have already begun.
If sources are to be believed then, former district in-charge minister B Ramanath Rai, Vinay Kumar Sorake and Pramodh Madhwaraj have vouched for ticket from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi-Chikkamagaluru parliamentary segments and Rai had openly expressed his desire to take on DK’s sitting MP Nalin Kumar Kateel in 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The KPCC has called Coastal district Congress unit meeting in Bengaluru on August 3 to discuss probable candidates for Lok Sabha elections and during this meeting, a clear picture on the probable candidates will emerge.
Political pundits say that road for the Congress is going to be tough because they had witnessed a miserable defeat recently in the assembly polls where these faces were rejected by the people. But, the leaders are confident of winning the parliamentary election as they feel that there is a strong anti-incumbency factor which could work in their favour. Rai had cited the same recently while talking about BJP’s Nalin Kumar Kateel.
However, the dynamics in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency is a little different. Both Sorake and Madhwaraj are vying for the ticket while sitting MP Shobha Karandalaje has expressed her unwillingness to contest polls from this constituency.
Meanwhile, many say that Madhwaraj is also in touch with the BJP to make best use of Karandalaje’s decision. It is said that he may shift loyalties if the Congress denies him ticket. However, such talks were making rounds even during the assembly polls.
Out of 13 Assembly constituencies in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, Congress has been able to retain only one seat of U.T. Khader from Mangaluru constituency. Remaining 12 seats were bagged by the BJP. One may have to only wait and watch what is in store for the Congress in the upcoming Parliamentary polls.
