With Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna counting his days in Mumbai before returning to active politics in Karnataka, the Congress high command has begun shortlisting candidates to replace him and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Motilal Vora is apparently leading the race.Also on the list are former Chief Election Commissioner M S Gill, Orissa Congress leader and another former chief minister J B Patnaik, as well as HRD Minister Arjun Singh, highly placed Congress sources told The Indian Express.Krishna has been keen to return to Bangalore and lead the Congress during the Assembly elections which are due ahead of schedule, following the collapse of the BJP-Janata Dal (S) alliance. Elections were initially expected in April-May, but are now likely to be held around October after the delimitation exercise is completed.That, however, has not changed Krishna’s plans and he is expected to leave Mumbai at the end of March or the first week of April, the sources said.Vora, also a former Uttar Pradesh governor, is the AICC treasurer and represents Chhattisgarh in the Rajya Sabha. Considered a 10, Janpath loyalist and a man for all seasons, his Upper House term ends in April. He leads the list of contenders as Congress President Sonia Gandhi has always wanted a strong politician in Mumbai’s Raj Bhawan to, what insiders termed as, keep an eye on Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar. Rajya Sabha member Gill is also seen as fitting this role, although he proved his mettle more as a bureaucrat and in the Nirvachan Sadan. His loyalties were on display recently when he put up a strong defence for Sonia Gandhi after the Election Commission issued a notice to her for accepting a Belgian civilian award.Arjun Singh and Patnaik are considered reluctant candidates, but are in the sights of the Congress leadership more for getting them out of their current positions. While Singh has proved to be “difficult” in Delhi, the sources said Patnaik needs to make way for a new leadership in Orissa to take on BJD Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the Assembly elections due next year.Patnaik, who is Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, wants to be appointed state Congress chief to get another shot at becoming CM. He has refused offers to become Governor in the past, a source said.Krishna’s return to Bangalore itself is not expected to be without controversy. Senior Karnataka Congress leaders including former chief minister Veerappa Moily, CM aspirant and Dalit leader Mallikarjuna Kharge and AICC general-secretary B K Hariprasad, are known to be miffed with his plans. While some of them brand Krishna as the leader of the predominant Vokkaliga community — which helps him take on former PM Deve Gowda and his sons — the former CM’s supporters say his critics do not have a mass base like he does and so, should not be targeting him. With the BJP on the upswing in the state and hoping to extract as much voter sympathy as possible for being ditched by Deve Gowda and sons, the Congress cannot afford disunity and Sonia Gandhi’s intervention would be sought to mend fences in Karnataka, sources said.
