Karnataka CM Siddaramiah safe, but some MLAs may face heat

BENGALURU: The ruling Congress, which is pulling out every possible trick up its sleeve to put the opposition BJP on the defensive, seems to be worried about the anti-incumbency factor working against some of its MLAs. While the government and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah are likely to escape the anti-incumbency factor, the same cannot be said about some 20 MLAs who are vying for tickets for the upcoming assembly elections. 

A senior Congress leader, who is closely associated with the party’s election strategies and is privy to discussions on the selection of  candidates, said the anti-incumbency factor may have an impact in over 20 assembly segments represented by Congress legislators. “The party is aware of this and is working on strategies to deal with it. However, it may not be easy to change our candidates. To replace them, we need candidates who are better than the sitting MLAs,” he said.

According to Congress insiders, an internal assessment based on the good response to the CM and his government’s performance show that the party might win around 120 seats. But when they look at the response to individual candidates, the results still fall short of a working majority. In a 224-member assembly, the Congress needs to win 113 seats to form the government on its own.Aware of the gaps that needs to be filled, Congress, unlike before, is now emphasizing only on winning as the sole criterion for giving tickets. “A candidate’s ability to win the election will be the only criterion for giving the party ticket and not caste or any other factors. Even the CM has made that very clear to the party leaders,” said a minister in the Siddaramaiah government.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president
 
G Parameshwara too had made it clear that the party is following a systematic approach, including getting feedback from local party units and party observers while selecting candidates. “We can more or less say who can win or who will find it difficult. We are evaluating sitting MLAs; if someone is going to lose then why will you give him (a ticket)? Winning is the criterion,” he told The New Indian Express.

Apart from candidate selection, Congress has to ensure that it fights the election as one unit and rebels — leaders who are denied tickets — do not do any damage. When contacted by TNIE, Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said “ There is no anti-incumbency factor  against the government. Everyone in the party is united to ensure Congress’s victory in the elections.”Congress, he said, is going to the elections with a development agenda, while BJP wants it to be on communal issues. “We have a very formidable election-fighting machinery and the party has never been so aggressive. Also, we have a social media team that is doing a good work in countering BJP’s propaganda on social media,” he added.

If party  regains power, Siddaramaiah will continue as CM

Congress is going to elections under Siddaramaiah’s leadership, but it has not announced him as the Chief Minister candidate. Highly placed sources in the party, however, said the high command has made it clear that if the party comes to power, Siddaramaiah will continue as CM. In fact, during his rallies in north Karnataka, Congress president Rahul Gandhi went gaga over the Karnataka model of development and had even gone to the extent of asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to learn from Siddaramaiah. “Most senior Congress leaders have been informed about the decision and no one has any issues with it. Everyone is working hard to ensure the party’s victory,” sources added.