It’s official. Infosys co-founder and UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani will take on seasoned BJP leader H N Ananth Kumar in the Bangalore South parliamentary constituency in the Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress and the BJP on Saturday released their first lists of 14 and 20 candidates respectively for Karnataka. Surprisingly, the name of Union Petroleum Minister M Veerappa Moily did not figure in the list, though the Congress re-nominated all other eight sitting MPs in the State. Moily is an MP from Chikkaballapur.
Tickets denied
The BJP denied tickets to four sitting MPs: B Y Raghavendra, Sanna Pakirappa (Raichur), Shivarame Gowda (Koppal) and D B Chandre Gowda (Bangalore North). Raghavendra made way for his father B S Yeddyurappa in Shimoga.
The Congress withheld names of candidates for the remaining 12 seats (primaries are being held for Bangalore North and Mangalore). The ruling party is said to be mounting pressure on two ministers, H Anjaneya and Prakash Hukkeri, to contest from Chitradurga and Chikkodi respectively.
Efforts are said to be underway to convince Assembly Speaker Kagodu Thimmappa to contest from Shimoga against Yeddyurappa.
The BJP central election committee (CEC), which met in New Delhi on Saturday, has deferred finalising the candidates for the remaining eight constituencies.
The names of B Sriramulu of the Badavara Shramikara Raithara Congress from Bellary and Shobha Karandlaje from Udupi-Chikmagalur were not finalised due to differences among the leaders.
The saffron party’s election panel is learnt to have asked state leaders to hold further discussions on these seats and suggest names. The next meeting is likely to be held on March 13.
