HUBBALLI: Speculations over Dharwad’s Congress candidate came to an end after the party re-nominated Vinay Kulkarni against incumbent Pralhad Joshi for the 2019 general elections on Tuesday night. The leaders claim that Vinay was rewarded for his electoral experience, but sources in the party say that his threat to contest as an Independent, forced the state leaders to take the decision in his favour. Along with Vinay, Youth Congress leaders Shakir Sanadi, Sadanand Danganavar and MLC Srinivas Mane were also under consideration.  

While the party refused him a ticket to contest the 2004 assembly election from Dharwad Rural, he fought as an Independent and defeated the party’s official candidate, establishing his political strength. In the following elections (2008), while BS Yeddyurappa played the Lingayat betrayal card against HD Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy, he lost against BJP candidate Seema Masuti. However, the result was in his favour in 2013 assembly election as he pushed BJP’s Seema to the third position.

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While the Congress did not find anyone strong enough to fight the BJP in 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Dharwad, the then chief minister Siddaramaiah persuaded Vinay to fight against Joshi. Though he was defeated, he came closer to Siddaramaiah. Vinay was one among the three cabinet ministers, Siddaramaiah had backed to agitate for a separate religious identity of the Lingayat community in 2017. However, he lost in the 2018 assembly poll from Dharwad.

Compared to the mixed experience of Vinay, Shakir is politically novice. “Though, he is close to Congress president Rahul Gandhi, he lacked the backing of local and state leadership,” a senior Congress leader said, adding that he (Shakir) was new to electoral politics.

The denying of ticket has certainly disappointed Shakir and his supporters, and some of them have expressed their anguish against the local leaders. They accused the local leaders of lobbying against Shakir’s candidature and also passing a resolution in favour of Vinay.

Shakir said, though he was disappointed, he abided by the party’s decision. “I was almost decided to be the candidate, but was refused again for a reason I am unaware of. I am a disciplined Congress worker and will work for the party candidate,”he added.