Karnataka Congress keen on fielding senior ministers to take on BJP biggies in 2019

BELAGAVI: Besides giving a final shape to the upcoming cabinet expansion during their meeting with the party high command in New Delhi on Thursday, the state Congress leaders are keen on taking their consent on fielding some senior cabinet ministers in the coming Lok Sabha polls in constituencies, represented by BJP MPs.

According to sources close to the Congress leadership, the plan to field some popular senior ministers is being worked out with an aim to halt the BJP from winning no more than 10 to 12 seats from the state. Through its intelligence gathering, the Congress is believed to have come to a conclusion that the party’s victory is certain in some of the constituencies if the senior ministers who are popular in their areas are fielded against the sitting BJP MPs.

However, the Congress top leaders are weighing their options cautiously, as they are still sceptical about whether to make their three to four senior ministers resign from the cabinet or field them without getting their resignations. “Some senior ministers, who the party feels could emerge winners in the elections, include Krishna Byre Gowda, R V Deshpande and Ramesh Jarkiholi. The party is confident that the seniors are capable of winning against the sitting MPs of BJP,’’ a party source said.

The party wants to explore the option of fielding Deshpande against Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde in Uttara Kannada constituency. After his five victories back-to-back, Hegde is still a popular leader there, but a section of the Congress leadership feels Deshpande could break his winning spree this time.

Sources said the party was keen to ride on the popularity of the Jarkiholi family in Belagavi by fielding minister Ramesh Jarkiholi from the same constituency, which is represented by BJP’s Suresh Angadi in Lok Sabha, for the last three terms. A swing of voters from BJP to Congress in many assembly segments in Belagavi district has prompted the Congress to consider fielding Jarkiholi against Angadi, who has won riding on the Modi wave once and Yeddyurappa’s popularity here twice in the last three elections.

Despite massive rallies held by Modi in Belagavi ahead of the recent assembly elections, the Congress has been able to perform well in most of the 18 constituencies in Belagavi district. Already, Jarkiholis have expressed their desire to contest Lok Sabha elections from Belagavi or Chikkodi constituency.

Minister Krishna Byre Gowda is expected to be fielded from Bengaluru North Lok Sabha constituency, where BJP’s Sadananda Gowda is the sitting MP, sources said. The Congress’ plans are still in the preliminary stage, but are expected to make an impact on the high command when the leaders raise it in their meeting in New Delhi on Thursday.

However, a section of Congress leaders is sceptical about the plans of fielding seniors fearing it may backfire. “The party should take a final call on it only when the elections are round the corner, based on the prevailing political trend in the state. Even if the seniors win the Lok Sabha elections, the party will have to face the challenge of winning the assembly bypolls from the seats vacated by the seniors. With the coalition government not so secured, considering the number of seats it has in the state, the Congress-JDS alliance will have to make the move extremely cautiously,’’ sources said.

Before naming the seniors for Lok Sabha constituencies, the Congress will have to finalise its candidates for assembly bypolls to avoid the risk of making the government unstable.