Putting an end to the speculation whether Congress candidate for the Vijayapura Lok Sabha constituency would be a local or an outsider, Home Minister M.B. Patil has asserted that the party will field a local candidate only.
“The district has competent and efficient leaders for party candidature; there is no need for the Congress to offer ticket to an outsider,” he said.
Addressing presspersons here on Sunday, he said that even if the party high command decides to bring an outsider, he would offer his views against such a decision. “I am not saying here who will be the candidate as it would be finalised by the high command. All that I am making it amply clear that the candidate will surely be from Vijayapura district itself,” he said.
On the Janata Dal(S) making efforts to get ticket for its leaders as a common candidate, Mr. Patil categorically stated that the Congress will not leave the candidature to that party.
“The Congress has a strong base in the district. We have more number of MLAs than the Janata Dal(S). Therefore, there is no question of giving our seat to the Janata Dal(S),” he said.
His remarks gain significance mainly when some reports are emerging from the Congress camp that the party may look for an outsider to be fielded in the coming Lok Sabha election as the party is suffering from the absence of a strong candidate.
At the same time, the Janata Dal(S) has also been trying to field its candidate as a coalition candidate. The Janata Dal(S) believes that it could mount pressure on the Congress to get the Vijayapura seat for its candidate.
