Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Oct 11: As per information, several candidates who the Congress and JD(S) want to field for Lok Sabha (LS) elections are reluctant to accept the offer in view of huge cost involved and short term of about four months remaining in the current term of the Lok Sabha. Another factor which has dampened their spirits is the realization that there is no guarantee that they would be fielded in the general election next year as the party candidates.

Yeddyurappa, Siddaramaiah and Kumaraswamy 

Reportedly, Laxmi Ashwini Gowda and Santosh Thammanna, who were mooted as prospective candidates by the JD(S) in Mandya LS seat, are now unwilling to become party candidate there. While Laxmi has shown disinclination to accept the offer, minister, D C Thammanna, is also reluctant to field his son, Santosh, from this seat. It is also said that former minister, Kimmane Ratnakar, who was the choice of the Congress to fight from Shivamogga LS seat is disinterested. Kimmane reportedly told at a meeting of party leaders that he was yet to wriggle out of huge expenses he had to make for the assembly election, and that he does not have the financial backing to fight LS election. He also said he has already questioned the rationale of holding bypoll at this juncture and there it would be wrong for him to fight the election.

Former Prime Minister, Deve Gowda, said at Vijayapura that former MLA, Madhu Bangarappa, would be fielded from Shivamogga LS seat. "Once Madhu Bangarappa, who is on foreign tour, comes back, a decision will be taken. If he does not agree, we will discuss with Congress and decide on a candidate," he explained.

Manjunath Bhandary, who fought from Shivamogga last time, and former assembly speaker, Kagodu Thimmappa, too have expressed themselves against being nominated. At the same time, former MLA Belur Gopalakrishna has told the leaders that he would fight the election provided the leaders assure him that he would be the LS election candidate next year. District level leader, Sundaresh, who is said to be other choice the party is considering, is interested in becoming the party candidate.

In Ramanagara, Chandrashekar, son of Congress MLC Lingappa, has joined BJP. It is said that the party is trying to rope in Cheluvarayaswamy in Mandya, duly assuring to make him MLC even if he loses the assembly election. The party is hopeful that the leader will accept their proposal. It is said that the party is also trying to get former MLC Ramakrishna into the party fold.

In Jamkhandi seat, BJP has proposed to field Srikant Kulkarni, who was defeated in the recent election. Kulkarni had to taste defeat as the brother of former minister, Murugesh Nirani, Sangamesh Nirani, had fought as an independent. However this time, it is said that Sangamesh has decided not to contest the election. Therefore BJP is hopeful of wresting this seat.

Congress is also facing a problem in finalising candidate for Ballari LS seat. While there is opposition to the candidature of the brother of Ballari rural MLA B Nagendra, other leaders like Anil Lad, Santosh Lad, MLA, Anand Singh, and P T Parameshwar Naik did not attend a meeting organized on Wednesday by minister, D K Shivakumar. The meeting is scheduled to be held again on Thursday.