The Congress is likely to announce its first batch of around 90 candidates for the Karnataka Assembly polls coinciding with the state's Ugadi new year festival on March 22, senior leaders of the party indicated on Saturday after returning to Bengaluru following meetings of the central election committee and screening committee in Delhi. Another indication coming from the meetings was that former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah may not get the nod to contest from the Kolar seat in south Karnataka which he is keen on. Congress Karnataka chief D K Shivakumar, its legislature party leader Siddaramaiah and party working president Satish Jarkiholi, who were part of the Delhi meetings, said the first list would include constituencies where there are no disputes regarding candidates. Shivakumar said Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will be visiting Karnataka for a youth rally on March 20, and that the list was likely to be released two days later. Siddaramaiah, who was more specific about the list being released on March 22, said: "Let me make it clear, in the seats where there is not more than one aspirant, the candidates have been cleared - irrespective of whether these have a sitting Congress MLA or not.” Jarkiholi, who returned to Belagavi from Delhi, said around 120 names had been finalised but the first list would contain only 90. "In 20 to 30 seats, we need to come to a consensus," he said. While Jarkiholi suggested differences of opinion regarding around six sitting Congress MLAs, and said the party would decide “on the basis of surveys and more opinions” regarding them, Shivakumar denied this. "Reports of denial of tickets to many sitting MLAs are false. Two MLAs have said they will not contest, the ones who are not keen to contest have indicated others as candidates. All our MLAs have worked hard and organised themselves. All sitting MLAs are being backed," Shivakumar said. Despite his assertion, there are believed to be differences on several sitting MLAs such as Akhanda Srinivasmurthy (Bengaluru's Pulakeshinagar seat), who is seen as backed by Siddaramaiah and opposed by Shivakumar, apart from at least one other Siddaramaiah loyalist from Bengaluru. A bigger worry for Siddaramaiah might be the central leadership's, and Rahul Gandhi's, suggestion that he give up on the Kolar seat he wants to contest from. While there was no official word, Siddaramaiah's own remarks and those of others indicated that not all had gone according to plan for the former CM. Asked about the matter, Siddaramaiah said: "The decision has to be taken by the high command or Rahul Gandhi. I have left it to the high command. They have not cleared my name yet. If the high command says I must contest from Badami, then I will contest from Badami. If they say Varuna, then it will be Varuna, and if they decide on Kolar, it would be Kolar. They will not ask me to contest from two seats as far as I know.” At the same time, Siddaramaiah underlined that he did not expect any problems with the candidature of his son Yathindra from Varuna, the family pocket borough that the latter won in 2018. "In Varuna, there is only the candidature of Yathindra. He would naturally be cleared," Siddaramaiah said. He added that he had stated in his “election application” that he had left the decision on his seat to the high command. “It is true that I looked for a house in Kolar but we did not take up any property," he added. In 2018, Siddaramaiah, then the incumbent CM, had contested from Chamundeshwari in Mysuru region and Badami in Bagalkot, leaving the family pocket borough of Varuna in Mysuru to Yathindra. Siddaramaiah had lost in Chamundeshwari and won Badami only by a narrow margin, though Yathindra had sailed through. Siddaramaiah had indicated well in advance that he hoped to contest from Kolar, despite scepticism about his prospects in a seat the Congress has not won in nearly three decades. Sources said that following a survey, the Congress leadership has concluded that the seat is not safe for the former CM. Asked about the seat for Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar said: "Comments on the decision on Kolar should be sought from Siddaramaiah himself.” Jarkiholi said: "The issue is between Siddaramaiah and the high command.” Jarkiholi said party leaders had offered Siddaramaiah the Saundatti seat in Belagavi, but he was not keen. “There are seats in south Karnataka he is comfortable with, and he will find a suitable one in Mysuru or Kolar," he said. The BJP and JD(S) were quick to mock Siddaramaiah over the Congress leaving him hanging on a seat he wanted. "I said earlier too that Siddaramaiah is only creating an impression that he will be contesting from Kolar. I said earlier too that he will eventually contest from Varuna. It looks like what I said is likely to come true," former BJP CM B S Yediyurappa said. BJP national general secretary C T Ravi said: "This shows that no seat is safe for Siddaramaiah - Badami is not safe, Chamundeshwari is not safe and Kolar is not safe.” "A person like Siddaramaiah should be in the Legislature as an Opposition leader to advise the government. He is an experienced person. It should be left to him to decide his seat," JD(S) state president C M Ibrahim, a former close associate of Siddaramaiah, said. In other announcements, the Congress leaders said they expected to see several big names from the ruling BJP and the JD(S) cross over soon. "The model code of conduct may come into force from March 27. After that, we will see people joining the Congress from other parties. There are many who are in touch with the party president, the CLP leader and the high command," Jarkiholi said. Jarkiholi added that his immediate focus would be Rahul's Belagavi rally, with the Congress hopeful it would galvanise the party in the district and help it get a majority of its 18 seats. The party sees Belagavi as crucial to its Assembly election performance. The most recent rally in Belagavi was of Assam CM and the BJP's hardline Hindutva voice, Himanta Biswa Sarma, where he said his government was of the opinion that all madrasas should be shut down. Jarkiholi said this was nothing but an election gimmick. "They raise issues only for polls. What happened to the CAA issue (the guidelines for the Act are yet to be framed by the Centre, three years after it was passed amid protests)? They raised the issue for votes. The BJP does not pursue any issues it raises. Madrasas have been around for a long time and they cannot be closed," Jarkiholi said.
