Priyanka to campaign in Karnataka Assembly polls

Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar on Monday said the party’s national General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has agreed to campaign and spend time in the state, for the Assembly elections next year.

The KPCC chief’s sudden New Delhi visit came amid talks about differences between him and Congress Legislature party leader Siddaramaiah regarding probable candidates recommended to the high command for upcoming MLC polls in the state. Shivakumar said he had come the national capital for party work and the final list of candidates is likely to be announced soon.

Tuesday is the last date to file nominations for the June 3 polls to seven seats of the Karnataka Legislative Council to be elected by MLAs and all the three major political parties in the state — Congress, BJP and JD(S) — are yet to announce their candidates. “Everyone will have the desire that their leader should come to their state, but as of now it has not been discussed,” Shivakumar said in response to a question about several state leaders insisting that Priyanka contest the Rajya Sabha polls from Karnataka. Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, he said, “We have said that she should spend time for the state during elections (assembly polls) and she has agreed to it. She has said that she will campaign in the state… no discussion has taken place regarding Rajya Sabha tickets.”

This comes amid speculation that a section of the Karnataka Congress leaders, including Shivakumar, wants Priyanka to contest the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls from the state, as they feel it may benefit the party during the Assembly polls, due next year. Shivakumar had recently said the party wants Priyanka to “concentrate on the south, where elections are coming up”.