Daijiworld Media Network - Ballari (SP)

Ballari, Oct 12: D K Shivakumar, who is in-charge minister for this district and also in-charge of Lok Sabha bypoll in this constituency, is struggling to have a grip on the volatile situation. The fact that candidates proposed by the party are not agreeable to fight the bypoll has emerged as a major hurdle to his efforts.

Although Shivakumar held two back-to-back meetings, local MLAs from this Lok Sabha constituency have not attended them. This has created problems for Shivakumar, who is known to be a strongman and powerful minister of the coalition government.

At a time when BJP has decided to field former MP, J Shantha, who also happens to be the sister of B Sriramulu, who had represented this constituency before he resigned, Congress appears to be groping in the dark. At the same time, reports say that candidates are not forthcoming to fight the Lok Sabha by election now.

It is learnt that the Congress MLAs have been desisting from attending the meetings, citing various reasons. This could be a form of expressing their disgruntlement or unwillingness to fight Lok Sabha election. To find a solution to this problem, a meeting has again been convened at the office of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee at Bengaluru on October 12.

At the same time, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dinesh Gundu Rao, said that an understanding has been reached with JD(S) as regards Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency and that Congress would be fielding its candidate here. It may be recalled that Deve Gowda had indicated that former MLA, Madhu Bangarappa, would be fielded from there. Rao exuded the confidence that Congress candidate will come out victorious there. He also said that there is no need to attach any importance to the prediction of former minister and BJP leader, R Ashok, about the coalition government collapsing within the next two months.

In the meanwhile, MLA representing Molakalmuru constituency, B Sriramulu, asserted that victory for BJP in Ballari constituency is a foregone conclusion. He said that he and the party workers are aware how to fight the election and register victory. MLA Somashekhara Reddy too asserted that BJP is sure to bag this seat in the bypoll.