JDS names candidates for Bijapur and Uttara Kannada
Bengaluru, Mar 26: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S) Tuesday finally announced the candidates for Bijapur and Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha constituencies.
Sunitha Devanand Chavan has been named for Bijapur and Anand Asnotikar for Uttara Kannada, Deve Gowda said in a release.
Both constituencies will go to polls in the second phase on April 23.
Sunita is the wife of Devanand Chavan, party MLA from Nagthan and Anand Asnotikar is a former BJP Minister who had lost as JD(S) candidate from Karwar in 2018 assembly polls.
Both Sunita and Asnotikar, who will contest as joint candidates of the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance, are pitted against Union Ministers Ramesh Jigajinagi in Bijapur and Ananth Kumar Hegde in Uttara Kannada respectively.
The Congress and JD(S) as per the seat sharing agreement had decided to contest for 20 and 8 Lok Sabha seats respectively out of total 28 seats in the state.
However, the JD(S) on Monday gave Bangalore North seat toits partner Congress on not finding a suitable candidate from the party against Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who is the BJP candidate.
Karnataka Minister for Rural Development Krishna Byre Gowda from the Congress is named as coalition candidate from Bangalore North.
Party candidates from other seats are Growda's grandsons Prajwal Revanna and Nikhil Kumaraswamy from party bastions Hassan and Mandya constituencies respectively.
While Gowda himself is contesting from Tumkur, former Chief Minister S Bangarappa's son Madhu Bangarappa is in the fray from Shimoga seat against another former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's son B Y Raghavendra of the BJP.
Pramod Madhwaraj, a former Congress Minister, is contesting from Udupi-Chikmagalur on JD(S) ticket according to the arrangement between the parties.
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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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