Congress leader Siddaramaiah Urge Rahul Gandhi to Contest from Karnataka

Guwahati: Congress leader Siddaramaiah urged the party President Rahul Gandhi to contest from Karnataka in the Lok Sabha polls, maintaining that such a move would befit somebody who's poised to become the next Prime Minister of India.

Requesting Gandhi to contest from Karnataka, Siddaramaiah tweeted, "Karnataka has always supported and encouraged Congress leaders and this has been proved in the case of Indira Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi ji. We also want our next Prime Minister Rahul Gandhi to contest from Karnataka and herald a new development paradigm."

Following Siddaramaiah, Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao followed up with a similar plea soon after. Rao also tweeted in regard to Rahul Gandhi's Prime Ministerial candidate from Karnataka saying, "On behalf of Karnataka Congress, I urge Rahul Gandhi to consider contesting from Karnataka for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He should also be our representative from South India and for that, he should choose my state."

The Karnataka Congress urged the Congress President to contest from Karnataka as they have a firm belief that he will win. They said that former Congress President Sonia Gandhi had emerged victorious against Sushma Swaraj of BJP from Karnataka's Bellary in 1999. Mother-in-law of Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had also scored a win against Janata Party candidate Veerendra Patil by 70,000 votes at Chikmagalur in 1978. This time the Congress was held on to Bellary while letting its alliance partner, Janata Dal (Secular) have Chikmagalur.

However, the Congress has already announced its candidature of Rahul Gandhi to contest from Amethi and Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli, the party's traditional strongholds in Uttar Pradesh.

The state Congress and Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular) have decided on a 20-8 seat-sharing agreement to thwart the opposition BJP, with the Congress getting the larger share of the pie.

The Lok Sabha elections in the state of Karnataka will be held in two phases- April 18 and April 24.

Meanwhile, legislators from both Congress and JDS whose constituencies are in Bengaluru North Lok Sabha gathered to sketch strategies for elections minutes before Siddaramaiah tweeted demanding Rahul Gandhi to contest from Karnataka.

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