Karnataka State Congress panel picks LS candidates

BANGALORE: The Karnataka Congress coordination committee meeting on Monday is said to have cleared names of all the nine sitting party MPs, besides UIDAI chairman Nandan Nilekani for Bangalore South constituency, former judge N Y Hanumanthappa for Bellary and sitting MLA, S S Mallikarjun for Davanagere parliamentary seats.
Sources said of Bangalore's three Lok Sabha seats, the party leaders were finding it difficult to finalize as the tussle was between a Muslim and Christian candidate.The contenders for the seat are former MPs C K Jaffer Sharief and H T Sangliana and state Youth Congress president Rizwan Arshad.
The meeting attended by AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh, chief minister Siddaramaiah, KPCC president G Parameshwara and ministers K J George and D K Shiva Kumar is also said to have authorized the high command to appoint chiefs to the boards and corporations while the members to these statutory bodies will be done at the state level.
Singh said it was the CM's prerogative to take the two ministers, whose induction has raised a controversy. He claimed the Congress has not inducted leaders facing corruption charges and chargesheeted in any of the party ruled states, whereas BJP has inducted such leaders.
Asked if he would take action against Baig and Kumar if chargesheeted, Siddaramaiah said, "Let us see. For now, we have information that there is no chargesheet. Even if they are chargesheeted, one cannot say they are guilty," he said.