Allies ask Rahul to contest from 2nd seat in the South

NEW DELHI: Pressure is building on Congress president Rahul Gandhi to contest from a constituency in southern India, apart from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, to boost the morale of party workers.

Over the past few weeks, leaders from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have urged Gandhi to select a seat of his choice in their respective states, according to a Congress functionary familiar with the matter.

The functionary, who asked not to be named, added that Gandhi could consider Bangalore Central, Bidar and Mysuru from Karnataka, Kanniyakumari and Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, and Wayanad in Kerala.

“Rahul ji will soon take a call on these requests,” he said.

Out of the total 543 Lok Sabha seats, 130 are in southern India — 39 in Tamil Nadu, 28 in Karnataka, 25 in Andhra Pradesh, 20 in Kerala, 17 in Telangana, and one in Puducherry.

The Congress has substantial presence in Karnataka (which it rules in an alliance with the Janata Dal-secular) and Kerala (where it is the principal Opposition party), is in alliance with the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu, but is weak in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao on Monday wrote to Gandhi, formally inviting him to contest from the state, insisting that the move would boost the party’s rank and file across southern India.