Congress leaders on Wednesday held a ‘close-door’ meeting and discussed names of several candidates for the byelections to the three Assembly seats scheduled on August 21.
The name of Ganesh Hukkeri, son of former Minister and Congress MP Prakash B. Hukkeri, has almost been finalised for the Chikkodi-Sadalaga seat. MLC Mahantesh Kavatagimath’s name is also being proposed for the Chikkodi-Sadalga seat.
The State unit will recommend names to the party high command for final approval. Announcement of candidates will be on Thursday or Friday as August 2 is the last date for filing of nomination papers. Names of actor-turned politician and former MLA, B.C. Patil, former MLC Shantaveera Gowda and local leader Mahadevappa are doing the rounds for the Shikaripur seat. Sources said leaders were considering fielding the former Deputy Speaker N.Y. Gopalakrishna for the Bellary (ST) seat. However, party activists from Bellary have strongly opposed it.
(The Hindu)
