Krishna Byre Gowda is the Congress candidate in Bangalore North
JD(S) gives Bangalore North LS seat to Congress
Bengaluru, Mar 25: Karnataka minister Krishna Byre Gowda was Monday named the Congress candidate for Bangalore North Lok Sabha seat, which its coalition partner JD(S) gave back to it.
The decision to field Gowda, Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, was taken at a meeting attended by Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and KPCC President Dinesh Gundu Rao, according to the CLP leader's office.
The choice of Byre Gowda was telephonically conveyed to JDS patriarch H D Deve Gowda, who also gave his consent, it said.
The Congress earlier in the day said the JD(S) conceded the seat and thanked Deve Gowda for the gesture.
The announcement was made with just two days left for filing of nominations for the first phase of polls in Karnataka to be held on April 18.
AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal thanked Deve Gowda for the move calling it a "kind gesture."
"Indian National Congress is thankful to Shri H D DeveGowda ji and the JD(S) for their kind gesture of giving back the Bengaluru North Lok Sabha seat to the Congress.
Together,let us reclaim democracy," Venugopal said in a post on hisFacebook page.
Tuesday is the last date for the filing of nominations for the first phase of Lok Sabha polls.
Bangalore North, which will go for polls in the first phase, is one among the eight seats that the JD(S) had got in a seat-sharing deal with the Congress that will contest in 20 out of total 28 seats in the state.
The move by JD(S) to concede the Bangalore North seat to the Congress comes after Deve Gowda on Saturday made official his decision to contest polls from Tumkur.
Though there was pressure within the JD(S) for their party supremo to contest from Bangalore North, it was apprehensive about Congress' complete support there as most party's MLA there are considered close to Gowda's bete noire Siddaramaiah.
It was feared that the MLAs may seek to take revenge for the former Chief Minister's defeat from Chamundeshwari in the 2018 assembly polls.
According to sources, the JD(S) decided to give up the seat to the Congress on not finding any suitable candidate in the party from the seat.
Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who was representing the seat from BJP, has been fielded once again by the party from the constituency.
He filed his nomination on Monday.
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Cong high command, CM to decide on K'taka Cabinet reshuffle: Minister Parameshwara
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Friday said any decision regarding the cabinet reshuffle rests solely with the Congress high command and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
His remarks come as several party legislators step up their demands for a ministerial role.
Defending the MLAs' right to express their desires, the minister said, "It is natural to have aspirations and there is nothing wrong in seeking a minister post. What is wrong in them (MLAs) asking for an opportunity? Whether to give or not is upto the high command to decide... it is the Chief Minister's discretion..."
Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara said the high command will look into these things and decide what needs to be done.
A group of senior Congress legislators, who have served as MLAs for over three terms, called on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, urging him to rejig the cabinet and give them an opportunity to serve as Ministers.
The group of about 40 legislators has planned to travel to New Delhi on April 11 after the by-polls, to meet the Congress high command and discuss the induction of at least 20 of them during the reshuffle.
Some first and second-time legislators have also recently pressed for a cabinet reshuffle.
Amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress with speculations about CM change that has intensified after the government completed half way mark in November, a section of Congress MLAs has been pushing for a cabinet rejig for some time, with several aspirants openly expressing their wish to be inducted.
Karnataka has a sanctioned strength of 34 ministers, including the chief minister. Two cabinet berths are currently vacant — following the resignation of B Nagendra over allegations of embezzlement at the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki ST Development Corporation, and the sacking of K N Rajanna from the cabinet on the instructions of the party high command.
Asked whether the Congress faced difficulty in finalising candidates for the April 9 by-polls to Bagalkot and Davangere South Assembly segments, Parameshwara said there was no difficulty, and that the party is evaluating candidates in both constituencies, based on winnability as a criterion.
"The Davangere seat was earlier represented by Shamanur Shivashankarappa, so naturally there is demand for the ticket for his family, also as the minority community population is higher in that segment they too are asking for the ticket. Ultimately, the party will decide. In Bagalkote too, there is a demand that tickets be given to the late MLA Meti's son; there are also other aspirants there seeking tickets. The party will decide," he said.
Based on reports from the local workers about winnability, the party will decide on the candidates, he added.
Bypolls for the Bagalkote and Davanagere South assembly constituencies have been necessitated following the deaths of sitting Congress MLAs H Y Meti and Shamanur Shivashankarappa, respectively.
To a question regarding AICC General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala's visit to the state, the Home Minister said he is most likely here for discussions regarding the by-polls, and there may also be other matters.
"AICC General Secretary may have come with certain mandates."
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