Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Nov 17: The Congress, which was dilly-dallying in the matter of announcing list of its candidates for some constituencies in the by-poll, has come out with its second list of six candidates. It had announced eight names in the previous list, and it is yet to decide on another constituency. 

It is being analyzed that former chief minister, Siddaramaiah, has again succeeded in getting candidates of his choice fielded. It is learnt that the state leadership had sent a list of seven names to the high command. The high command has finalized names of Gajanan Balachandra Manasuli for Athani constituency, Raju Kage for Kagwad, Lakhan Jarkiholi for Gokak, Venkatrao Ghorpade for Vijayanagara, Rizwan Arshad for Shivajinagar, and B Chandrashekhar for K R Pete. This list was released by All India Congress Committee general secretary for elections, Mukul Wasnik.

Ramesh and Lakhan Jarkiholi 

Lakhan Jarkiholi has been fielded in Gokak constituency opposite his seasoned elder brother, Ramesh Jarkiholi. D K Shivakumar and Laxmi Hebbalkar, it is said, had made efforts to see that rebel BJP candidate, Ashok Poojari, is fielded from here opposite the elder of the Jarkiholi siblings. But Siddaramaiah saw to it that Lakhan is fielded from here. In Shivajinagar constituency too, several leaders including in-charge of state Congress affairs, K C Venugopal, had recommended the candidature of Tabu, wife of KPCC president, Dinesh Gundu Rao from here, but Dinesh is not agreeable. Therefore, Rizwan's name was approved. 

It is said there was delay in releasing the list because of competition between several candidates in Shivajinagar and Gokak constituencies and because of caste and other calculations in some others. 

Now, the lone constituency where the Congress has not finalized its candidate is Yashwanthpur. S T Somashekhar of the Congress has since migrated to the BJP. Rajkumar Naidu, who is considered to be the choice of Siddaramaiah, and Vijayanagara MLA, Krishnappa's son, Priya Krishna, are trying for ticket from here. But Krishnappa is not agreeable to field his son, although the party leaders are insisting on fielding him, it is said.