Congress struggles with decision on candidate for Dharwad

HUBBALLI: The Bharatiya Janata Party announced its candidate for Dharwad parliamentary elections scheduled to be held on May 7, but because of delay in announcement of the Congress candidate, speculations are rife in the city.
The final name will come out in a couple of days. The CEC meeting is scheduled to be held on Tuesday at the AICC office.
Activists are discussing that this time the Congress party is planning to field an OBC candidate to bring Ahinda voters together, and some are saying that Lingayat leader and former MLC Mohan Limbikai is expected to get a ticket.
Names like Shivaleela Kulkarni and Dr Mahesh Nalwad are also making the rounds. MLA Vinay Kulkarni is trying hard to get a ticket for his wife and is said to be pressuring the party high command for a ticket.
Practising doctor Mahesh Nalwad who was state president of the doctors' wing of BJP, was disappointed with the decision of the saffron party, as it announced former chief minister Basavaraj Bommai as a candidate from the Haveri constituency. Congress party leaders are reportedly contacting Nalwad and trying to convince him to be a party candidate.
According to BJP sources, Nalwad is a follower of Union minister Pralhad Joshi. With assurance of a party ticket for LS polls from Joshi, he had shifted his focus from Dharwad to Haveri parliamentary constituency.
The Congress party is finding it very difficult to zero in on a candidate. Looking at the past few election results, the party is planning to take a chance and give a ticket to a non-Lingayat candidate.
Names of Youth Congress leader Vinod Asuti, Lohit Naikar from Kuruba community are being heard. Vinod Asuti was a strong contender for the assembly election from the Navalgund segment. However, as NH Konaraddi joined the Congress, he was not given a ticket by the Congress party. Asuti's name has come to the fore now as the constituency has a large number of Kuruba community voters.
When contacted, Vinod Asuti said: “I am seriously trying for a ticket. If given a chance by the party, the result will be different this time for sure.”
Former MLC Mohan Limbikai said: “I am confident that the party will give me a ticket. Considering various factors in the segment, a winnable candidate is most important. Lingayat voters are in large numbers in the Dharwad parliamentary constituency.”