Many contenders in Congress for party ticket

COUNCIL COUNTDOWN

Udupi, Nov 13, 2021: Activities in Congress have gained momentum as the nomination for Local Authorities Constituencies of the Karnataka Legislative Council will begin this week.

The nomination will start on Nov 16. The last date for nomination is Nov 23 and the election will be held on Dec 10.

Dakshina Kannada constituency has two seats. At present Congress and BJP have one seat each (Kota Srinivas Poojary and Pratapchandra Shetty.)

As Congress and BJP have enough strength in the Local Bodies of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, both are in a position to ensure the victory of one seat each.

Congress is witnessing a tough race among the leaders for the ticket.

Several names are making rounds in the Congress camp.

Senior Congress leader Manjunath Bhandary of Sahyadri Group of Institutions is one of the strong contenders for the seat. Bhandary enjoys a good relationship with the party leaders and is known for his dignified politics. He is not identified with any faction and thus enjoys good support in the region.

Former Mayor of Mangaluru Shashidhar Hegde is another strong contender. Shashidhar Hegde has served the party in various capacities and maintains a good relationship with all the politicians in the region and also in the state. He has served as the Corporator for over two decades and is a well-known leader.

Known for his soft-spoken nature, Shashidhar Hegde also has good knowledge about Local Bodies.

The other name making round is M A Gafoor.

Gafoor was a close aide of senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes. He had served the party in various capacities. He also headed the party in the Udupi district and also as the chairman of Karnataka Minority Development Corporation in the Siddharamaiah government.

To be continued…