The Hindu : Priyanka unlikely to contest from State

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Priyanka unlikely to contest from State

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, MARCH 22. The chances of Priyanka Vadra, daughter of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, and the AICC President, Sonia Gandhi, contesting from the Bellary Lok Sabha constituency have receded and the State Congress only expects her to campaign for its candidates.

According to party sources, the AICC has so far not responded to the offer of the KPCC that a member of Indira Gandhi's family contest from the State as it would give a boost to the prospects of the party in the elections in the State.

However, the Congress has kept the question of selecting its candidate for the Bellary seat open.

At a press conference today, the KPCC President, B. Janardhana Poojary, noted that the decision that Ms. Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi contest elections from Uttar Pradesh was that of the AICC. About the discontent in the Chitradurga district unit of the party over the selection of the former Chief Justice of the Orissa High Court, N.Y. Hanumanthappa, as the candidate for the Lok Sabha elections, Mr. Poojary maintained that the retired judge had applied for the nomination and was selected after the process was gone through. It was not as though the party had selected him even without his seeking the nomination.

Questioned about the view expressed by the AICC Secretary, B.K. Hariprasad, that the party should not consider who had deposited the application fee, Mr. Poojary said there was nothing wrong with what he had said.

To repeated questions, he said the party would consider what it should do with regard to the open rebellion by the former State Youth Congress President, R. Manjunath, over the selection of Mr. Hanumanthappa.

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