The Hindu : Suspense continues in Bellary

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

Karnataka

Karnataka

Suspense continues in Bellary

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELLARY, MARCH 22. The delay on the part of Congress in announcing the name of its candidate for the elections to the Lok Sabha from the Bellary parliamentary constituency has kept everybody guessing. Will the party nominate Priyanka Vadra, daughter of the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi, is what people are asking. This is because Rahul Gandhi, Ms. Vadra's brother, has been nominated to contest from Amethi and Ms. Gandhi from Rae Bareli.

Bellary is one of the very few constituencies in the country that has elected Congress candidates in all the elections to the Lok Sabha so far and, hence, is considered a `safe' seat. The constituency shot to fame when Ms. Gandhi contested from Bellary in the 1999 elections and defeated Sushma Swaraj of the BJP. Kolur Basavanagouda, who is the president of the Veerashaiva Vidya Vardhaka Sangha, which runs a chain of educational institutions in the district, was elected in the byelection held in 2000 when Ms. Gandhi vacated Bellary and retained Amethi.

Immediately after the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, Mr. Basavanagouda wrote to Ms. Gandhi requesting her to contest again from Bellary or field one of her children from the constituency. The District Congress Committee also adopted a resolution inviting Ms. Gandhi to contest again or field one of her children. But so far there has been no response from the Congress leadership.

Mr. Basavanagouda, M. Diwakar Babu, Minister of State for Cooperation, and K.C. Kondaiah, former MP and sitting MLC, are among five who have applied to contest from Bellary.

The Congress has already cleared the names of candidates to be fielded from Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur and Koppal.

The BJP is also waiting for the Congress to announce its candidate from Bellary to decide on its candidate. According to sources in the party, the BJP leadership is likely to field the actress Vijayashanti if Ms. Vadra is the Congress candidate.

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