Bengaluru: A day after the KPCC office bearers meeting passed a resolution not to give bypoll tickets to non-members of the party, Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, KPCC president, Dr G. Parameshwar, Bengaluru development minister, K.J. George, Energy minister, D.K. Shivakumar and food and civil supplies minister, Dinesh Gundurao reportedly batted in favour of Mr Byrathi Suresh, an aspirant for the Hebbal seat stating he was a co-opted member of the party in the Legislative Council.
Even though all leaders conceded that the "final decision" on selecting candidates rests with central leaders in New Delhi, they contended in the same breath that when Mr Suresh is a co-opted member, how could he be termed an outsider?
Going by their statements favouring Mr Suresh, it appears that Mr Siddaramaiah has the upper hand in candidate selection nudging out Congress veteran, C.K. Jaffer Sharif's grandson, Rehman Sharif out of the race.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Muslim leaders met Dr Parameshwar and urged him to give the ticket to a community leader.
Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah said the party had not yet decided whom to field in which constituency. "Congress party follows a prescribed method to select candidates, whether it is Hebbal or any other constituency," the CM said.
In response to a question, Mr Siddaramaiah shot back asking who had said Byrathi Suresh was an outsider?
KPCC president, Dr Parameshwar dropped enough hints that Mr Suresh is a co-opted member in the Council. "Ultimately, it is the decision of central leaders," he said.
The party's Hebbal candidate selection panel chief and minister, K.J. George said there was no fixed rule in politics that a particular constituency belongs to a community. "In 2013, a minority candidate was fielded from Hebbal, the same rule need not be applied in this bypoll," he said
Meanwhile, Byrathi Suresh met fellow Kuruba, H.M Revanna to convince the latter not to contest the by-poll from Hebbal. The meeting was anything but pleasant with Revanna reportedly giving Byrathi a dressing-down.
