Cong plans swap deal, to field Suresh in Hebbal

Bengaluru: The ruling Congress, which has seen a fight between its Kuruba and Muslim leaders over selection of candidate for Hebbal by-election, has apparently decided on a “swap deal“ to appease its Ahinda (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and dalits) vote bank.
According to sources in the Congress, the party is expected to field MLC Byrathi Suresh as the candidate in the by-election for the Hebbal assembly seat.The MLC seat vacated by him -the term ends in 2018 -will go a minority candidate: most likely party veteran CK Jaffer Sharief 's grandsom Abdul Rahman or Youth Congress leader Rizwan Arshad.
Chief minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday held a meeting with ministers from the city to decide on the strategy to wrest control of the Hebbal seat from the BJP.
Recognizing Hebbal as a BJP bastion, the Congress has given the poll work to five ministers. DK Shivakumar and Ramalinga Reddy will be the in-charges and they will be assisted by R Roshan Baig, Krishna Byregowda and Dinesh Gundu Rao.
While the Congress seems to have resolved its internal crisis, there appears to be no such indicator in the JD(S) or the BJP.
On Saturday , JD(S) leader BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan walked out of a party meeting to select the candidate for Hebbal by-election. The Chamrajpet MLA is a key leader for selecting the candidate. Zameer openly accused the JD(S) leadership of not giving adequate attention to party workers and side-lining his followers for the upcoming zilla and taluk panchayat elections. He walked out even before JD(S) state president HD Kumaraswamy arrived for the meeting.
The BJP is still facing a crisis despite almost finalizing sitting MLC Y A Narayanswamy as its candidate. Party sources said leaders like BS Yeddyurappa want the ticket to be given to former MLA Katta Subramanaya Naidu's daughter-in-law.