The Hindu : Karnataka News : Confusion over list of candidates for Karnataka polls in all parties

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Saturday, Apr 19, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Confusion over list of candidates for Karnataka polls in all parties

S. Rajendran

Janata Dal (S) likely to announce first list today
SP making last-minute effort for tie-up with JD(S)

BANGALORE: Confusion prevails in all three major political parties — the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) — even three days after the nominations opened for the first phase of the three phase Legislative Assembly elections. The big rush for the party ticket caused the chaos.

While the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) are still short-listing the names, the BJP, which announced the list way ahead of the other two parties, is facing another kind of a problem. Some disgruntled BJP activists (including a few former legislators) have categorically stated that come what may they will contest the elections. Thus, if a rebellion has already surfaced in the BJP, it is now brewing in the Congress and the Janata Dal (S).

While the Congress has finalised the first list of candidates (particularly for 89 constituencies which figure in the first phase of polls), the Janata Dal (S) is playing a cool game obviously awaiting the arrival of people from the Congress who have been denied the ticket. The Janata Dal (S) is expected to announce its first list on Saturday and the party candidates will file their nomination papers from Monday. The BJP has announced candidates for 185 constituencies, including 87 for the first phase. The Janata Dal (United) obviously upset with the manner in which the BJP has treated it so far has announced candidates for 24 constituencies.

Of an estimated 10,000 Congressmen including leaders and activists who made a beeline to New Delhi to exert pressure on the AICC to get the ticket for their respective leader, a large number of them have since returned disappointed.

A section of them are stated to be in touch with the Janata Dal (S) leadership which has set up a screening committee to scrutinise such applications.

Sources in the Congress told The Hindu that yet another reason for the delay in the AICC announcing the first list has been the pressure exerted by some senior leaders on the party high command to ensure that “their people” are given the ticket. “Some leaders have charged some of the candidates and when the names of such candidates were missing from the list they have exerted pressure resulting in the delay. It is being sorted out,” the sources said. The party sources refused to divulge more details on “the transactions”.

A last minute attempt to bring about an alliance between the Karnataka unit of the Samajawadi Party and the Janata Dal (S) has failed.

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