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Rivals vie for Cong. nomination

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHITRADURGA, MARCH 4. G.H. Thippa Reddy, former MLA, and S.K. Basavarajan, administrator of Sri Murugha Math, Chitradurga, are in the race for the Congress nomination to contest the elections to the Legislative Assembly from Chitradurga constituency.

Taj Peer of the Congress is also likely to seek the party nomination. Mr. Peer, who had contested the 1999 elections as a Congress candidate, lost to Mr. Reddy, who fought as an independent candidate.

Mr. Reddy became an associate member of the Congress after the elections. Even if Mr. Peer succeeds in getting the Congress nomination, the scenario may not change. Mr. Reddy and Mr. Basavarajan have launched their campaign at personal levels.

In fact, Mr. Basavarajan had been making preparations for the past four years to contest from Chitradurga. He had tasted defeat in the 1994 elections to the Legislative Council as a Janata Dal candidate.

"If Mr. Basavarajan does not get the Congress nomination, he will contest as a Janata Dal (Secular) candidate. We hope that the Congress will field him this time," a senior Congress leader said.

Meanwhile, sources said Shivamurthy Murugharajendra Sharana of Sri Murugha Math had met the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, and requested him to give a chance to Mr. Basavarajan to contest the election to the Assembly from Chitradurga. But the expulsion of Soubhagya Basavarajan, President of the zilla panchayat and the wife of Mr. Basavarajan, from the Congress for "anti-party" activities during the election to the post of the President of the panchayat may work against Mr. Basavarajan.

Mr. Reddy, who had won twice as an independent candidate, associated himself with the Congress in 1999 and the Janata Dal earlier.

Sources in the Congress said party workers might not accept him as a candidate. The party might decide in favour of Mr. Peer keeping in mind the minority factor, they added.

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