Cong considering DK Suresh as party candidate

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Congress is considering fielding former MP and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s brother D.K. Suresh as the party candidate from the high-profile Channapatna seat in the Assembly bypolls.

Senior Congress MLA Tanveer Sait told reporters on Thursday that there are chances that the former MP would be fielded as the party candidate for the Channapatna seat, which was earlier represented by Union Heavy Industries Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and is part of Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency.

“It is a different matter that D.K. Suresh had stated that he doesn’t want to contest the election... the party needs him to continue active politics. We will pressurise him from our side and also consider the people’s feelings... based on that we will declare the candidate,” MLA Sait said.

The party will take calls for Shiggaov and Sandur based on different criterion while the decision for the Channapatna seat, which is garnering much attention, will be taken carefully, he said.

“As the by-elections are announced for Channapatna, Sandur and Shiggaon seats, the Congress party has already appointed observers for these constituencies. The process is on and the party is getting applications from the aspiring candidates,” he added.

The Congress MLA further said that Deputy CM Shivakumar announced that he is the party candidate for the Channapatna bypolls no matter who contests. “We are prepared to field the candidate as per the situation. We will announce the candidate in five days,” Sait said.

D.K. Suresh, who represented Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha seat three times was defeated by former PM H.D. Deve Gowda’s son-in-law C.N. Manjunath in the 2024 general elections. Manjunath contested as the BJP candidate. Now, Congress sources say Shivakumar is “eagerly waiting to avenge the defeat”.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has announced that the Congress is “fully prepared” to contest the upcoming by-elections in the state, scheduled for November, and all necessary preparations are being made.

Speaking to the media at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, he stated that institutions like the CBI, ED, and IT, which are under the control of the Central government, should function impartially and not work in favour of any political party.