Bengaluru: With just seven months to go for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress is already lobbying hard for the Lok Sabha tickets. The ticket lobbying in the Congress party has intensified after the party’s landslide victory in the Assembly elections last May.
Former Minister H. M. Revanna and Youth Congress President Mohammed Nalapad are in the fray from Bengaluru Central, while former MP V. S. Ugrappa is lobbying hard for Ballari. Belagavi, where Satish Jarkiholi lost the 2019 by-election, is also in high demand. Party sources said that the party is likely to win more seats in Karnataka this time.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Yathindra is likely to contest from Mysuru and Jayaprakash Hegde from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru.
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge may choose Kolar as the second seat along with Kalaburagi. Kharge is said to be keen to contest from the constituency of former Kolar MP K. H. Muniyappa, who is a Minister in the Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet.
In Tumakuru, the demand for aspirants has increased considering that former party candidate Muddahanumegowda has walked out of the party and G. S. Basavaraj may not contest from there. In the last Lok Sabha elections, the Congress had won only two of the 28 seats in the state.
The lack of winning candidates is evident as some Congress leaders have lost the last four times. Sources said many who lost the recent Assembly elections are trying their luck in the Lok Sabha elections.
Meanwhile, the BJP has hinted at changing candidates in 14-15 constituencies and is likely to field candidates after weighing the ruling party’s candidates in the state.