The Hindu : Karnataka News : No Congress ticket for two members of a family?

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Friday, Apr 25, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

No Congress ticket for two members of a family?

H.S. Narasimha Kumar

Shyamanur Shivashankarappa, son seek ticket

Fate of ticket for S.S. Mallikarjun unknown
He had represented Davangere in the Assembly earlier

Shivashankarappa

DAVANGERE: Has the Congress made it a policy not to give ticket to two members of a family irrespective of their capability of winning the elections? Yes, according to many senior Congressmen here.

Veteran leader and former MLA Shyamanur Shivashankarappa had sought ticket for Davangere South and he got the party ticket to contest the elections.

Similarly his son, S.S. Mallikarjun, former Minister in the S.M. Krishna government, had also sought ticket to contest from Davangere North. But the party is not yet finalised the candidate for Davangere north, keeping the workers and followers of Mr. Mallikarjun on tenterhooks.

Rumours

This has given room for various rumours, including that the party had taken a decision not to give two tickets to a family. A few other leaders of the party said that the party high command had asked Mr. Mallikarjun to contest the next Lok Sabha elections. Mr. Mallikarjun had represented Davangere earlier and he went on to become Minister in S.M. Krishna cabinet. Then his father was Lok Sabha member from Davangere. Later, Mr. Mallikarjun had contested the Davangere Lok Sabha elections and was defeated while his father had contested the Assembly elections from Davangere and won.

Now both father and son had sought party ticket to contest the Assembly elections from Davangere South and Davangere North respectively. The party had finalised ticket to Shivashankarappa and kept pending the decision on Davangere North constituency.

Supporters of Mr. Mallikarjun argue that AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi had stated that the party would give prominence to youth and let the party give prominence to youth leaders such as Mr. Mallikarjun.

They argue that Mr. Mallikarjun had proved his mettle by carrying out umpteen numbers of development works when he was the Minister.

They wonder why the party is dilly-dallying over giving ticket to Mr. Mallikarjun, who could easily win the elections based on his previous performance.

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