Congress aspirants from Bijapur Lok Sabha constuency, such as Manohar Ainapur, former MLA; Arjun H. Rathod, president, Bijapur district Congress Committee president; and Kantha Naika, member, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee campaign committee, have urged the Congress high command not to give Lok Sabha ticket to former MLC Prakash Rathod. They said he was an outsider and had lost in three elections. In a press release, the three Lambani leaders said while they lived in the district and were in constant touch with the electorate, Mr. Prakash Rathod did not reside there. Mr. Ainapur, the release said, had defeated Ramesh Jigajinagi, BJP MP in 1989 Assembly elections, and had conducted an international Banjara cultural conference in the district.
The release said either one of them should be given ticket.
