Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru (DC)

Bengaluru, Mar 21: Former minister and Congress leader Pramod Madhwaraj on Wednesday clarified to the party leaders that agreement between JD(S) and the Congress in the Lok Sabha constituency of Udupi-Chikkamagaluru cannot be reversed.

During a meeting with the local party leaders from Udupi, Madhwaraj on March 20 however confirmed that he was ready to contest as the consensus candidate.

Responding to the appeal made by local Congress leaders not to give away Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency to the JD(S), Madhwaraj said that as per the alliance, there is no question of reversing the decision of the high command. He also asked the local leaders to fight united in support of JD(S) candidate.

However, he said that he was ready to contest as consensus candidate and will not quit Congress for it. "JD(S) high command has requested me to contest as their candidate. We have requested them to give away Udupi-Chikkamagaluru to us. If they are not ready, I am ready to contest as consensus candidate of the alliance only after my high command gives nod," he added.

In the meeting Congress senior leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, other leaders Vinay Kumar Sorake, Ishwar Khandre, Gopala Bhandary, B L Shankar and others were present.

It is said that JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda has made very clear that whoever wants to contest should do so under JD(S) party symbol. Many of the Congress leaders like Pramod Madhwaraj and Dr Arathi Krishna are not ready to quit Congress and join JD(S) for that purpose. It is yet to be seen, under such circumstances, what solution will be found. As JD(S) has negligible presence in the region, it does not have leaders who can be fielded as a candidate. It can only field leaders from Congress.