Intense lobbying is on in the Congress for the three nominated seats vacant in the Legislative Council.
The seats have been vacant for the past few months following the completion of the term of Kannada actor Jaggesh, educationalist and social worker P.V. Krishna Bhat and BJP leader Lehar Singh, all three nominated during the previous BJP regime. However, Mr. Singh was recently elected to the Council from the Legislative Assembly constituency.
Though there are a dozen candidates aspiring to be members of the Upper House, sources in the Congress said that the party had short-listed Kannada writer Baragur Ramachandrappa, former Bangalore Mayor P.R. Ramesh, businessman K.P. Nanjundi, former Congress MLA from Ramanagaram C.M. Lingappa and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee member Mohan Kondaji.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president and Home Minister G. Parameshwara are expected to meet party central leaders on November 4 in New Delhi to seek the approval of names for the three seats.
Some Congress leaders admit that these seats are primarily for those outside the party or professional politics.
However, aspiring candidates maintained that those having merit; who have served the Congress for several decades; those with higher qualifications, impeccable parliamentary record, and articulation skills; and those who toe the party line are to be nominated.
Party loyalists are opposing the nomination of newcomers or those who have joined the party in recent years.
What is noteworthy about the lobbying is that some candidates who recently completed their tenure as chairpersons of boards and corporations too have joined the race. Both the Chief Minister and the KPCC president are also expected to hold discussions on the candidate to be fielded in the Nanjangud byelection to be held in six months in the wake of the resignation of the former Minister V. Srinivas Prasad from the Legislative Assembly.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC chief G. Parameshwara are expected to go to New Delhi on Nov. 4
