Days after Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that he would vacate the Varuna Assembly segment, paving the way for his son Yathindra’s electoral debut, his close aide and Minister for Public Works, H.C. Mahadevappa, is also believed to be grooming his son Sunil Bose for T. Narsipur Assembly segment.
If sources in the Congress are to be believed, Mr. Mahadevappa is eyeing the neighbouring Nanjangud Assembly segment, which is also a reserved constituency like T. Narsipur from where he was elected in 2013.
However, unlike Mr. Siddaramaiah, who has made it clear that he will contest from Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency in the 2018 elections, Mr. Mahadevappa has not. But, he is believed to be eyeing Nanjangud constituency ever since the bypolls in April. During a visit to the constituency last week, Mr. Mahadevappa not only participated in the government’s developmental programmes, but also met the public and party workers.
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When reporters asked him on the possibility of contesting from Nanjangud, Mr. Mahadevappa did not deny it. “Nanjangud is my native place,” he replied.
When asked if Mr. Bose is an aspirant for the Congress ticket from T. Narsipur Assembly constituency, Mr Mahadevappa said: “He has been a Congress worker for the last 10 years. The party workers, leadership and High Command’s decision will be final.”
Sources in the Congress believe that the appointment of Mr. Bose as head of the Vigilance Committee to oversee implementation of housing schemes in T. Narsipur in July this year was a prelude to his eventual electoral plunge in next year’s polls. A similar post had been given to Mr. Yathindra in the Varuna Assembly segment.
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Mr. Bose’s name did the rounds when the Congress was identifying candidates for the Nanjangud bypolls earlier this year. However, the Congress eventually chose Kalale Keshavamurthy, who now represents Nanjangud in the Legislative Assembly.