H.T. Sangliana, former MP, who had been holding talks with the Janata Dal (Secular) after being upset over the lack of representation of the Christian community in the candidate list announced by the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections, beat a hasty retreat on Saturday.
SatisfactionHe told The Hindu that he had met a member of the Congress high command and was satisfied with the promise that the Christian community would be given adequate representation in the future. “I have decided to stay in the Congress and campaign for Congress candidates.”
Mr. Sangliana said he had invitations from the JD(S) and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress to contest from the Bangalore Central constituency.
“I was upset that the party has not fielded even a single candidate from the Christian community in this election. This had never happened before and I took up the matter with the high command.”
RepresentationIn every previous election, Christians were given ticket in at least one constituency and Muslims from at least two of the 28 Lok Sabha segments.
However, this time, the party has fielded just one Muslim — Rizwan Arshad — in the list of 26 candidates announced so far. Not a single Christian candidate figures in the list.
