Bangalore, Dec 28 (IANS) Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani is likely to become the first IT czar to contest Lok Sabha elections. He has told the Congress of his interest -- and the party is considering his candidature.
Though there has been speculation for weeks that the Congress may field him from Karnataka, his home state, Nilekani has been coy about his intentions. The party was also reluctant to talk about it.
Now, the Karnataka Congress president, Parameshwara, has confirmed that Nilekani had met him and expressed his willingness to enter politics - and contest the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.
"It is left to the party high command to decide whether to field him or not," he said.
Parameshwara believes it will be "a matter of pride" if a man of Nilekani's stature identifies himself with the Congress. He will also bring along youths associated with the IT/BT and corporate sectors.
Parameshwara did not indicate if Nilekani, now heading the Unique Identification Authority of India, has mentioned a constituency from where he would want to contest.
Speculation is rife that he may want to be a candidate from Bangalore South, held since 1996 by the Bharatiya Janata Party's H.N. Anantha Kumar.
Bangalore South is a mix of upscale and poor localities but has sizable youth population working in the IT/BT sectors.
Parameshwara expects the party to finalise the list of candidates for the 28 Lok Sabha seats by January-end. The state unit will submit the list of probables for each constituency in early January.
The Karnataka Congress chief says the state unit, going by the advice of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, will try to give prominence to young candidates.
Indications are that the party has picked candidates for only 20 seats --as the eight sitting members are expected to be re-nominated.
The members are union ministers Mallikarjun Kharge (Gulbarga-SC), M. Veerappa Moily (Chikkaballapur), K.H. Muniyappa (Kolar-SC), N. Dharam Singh (Bidar), R. Dhruvanarayana (Chamarajanagar-SC), A.H. Vishwanath (Mysore), Ramya (Mandya) and D.K. Suresh (Bangalore Rural).
Ramya and Suresh won the seats in by-elections early this year.
Among the party veterans who reportedly want to contest though they have lost previous elections are former railway minister C.K. Jaffer Sharief and former junior finance minister B. Janardhana Poojary.
Rajya Sabha member B.K. Hariprasad is also seeking the ticket.
The BJP too has begun the exercise of finalising its candidates, but the task is likely to be completed only after the party decides whether or not to take back its former leader B.S. Yeddyurappa into the party.
The former chief minister, who is fighting several corruption cases against him and his family members, recently met party president Rajnath Singh when the latter visited Karnataka.
BJP leaders here expect a decision on Yeddyurappa by mid-January.
Left parties protest Modi's invitation to Obama
Kolkata, Jan 24 (IANS) Accusing the Narendra Modi government of compromising India's sovereignty by inviting Barack Obama for the Republic Day function, several Left parties Saturday staged a
RSS: Will RSS be able to achieve this impossible goal? Sangh's big plan regarding UP-Bihar
Keeping in mind the next Lok Sabha elections, the opposition has also started throwing its dice. While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is trying to increase his acceptability through Bharat Jodo Yatra,
Nagpur Violence: 'Nagpur violence was well planned', CM Fadnavis said in the assembly - will not spare the culprits
Regarding Nagpur violence, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that it seems that this violence was planned. Speaking on the Nagpur issue in the Assembly, CM Fadnavis said that
Chhath Puja 2023 Day 4: When will Arghya be offered to the rising sun on the last day of Chhath Puja? Know the auspicious time and importance
Today i.e. 20th November is the last day of Chhath Puja. The fourth day i.e. Saptami Tithi is the last day of Chhath Mahaparva. On this day, water is offered to the rising sun in the morning. With
CBI arrested Kejriwal from the court, Delhi CM's health deteriorated; fed tea and biscuits when his sugar level dropped
In the excise policy scam case, the CBI presented Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the Rouse Avenue Court on Wednesday. From here, after the court's permission, the CBI arrested Arvind
Salman Khan showed his fierce style amidst receiving death threats, and silenced everyone with his latest post!
'Salman Khan has grown old', 'He needs to focus on his fitness a little'... Those giving such advice to Bhaijaan after the film Sikandar, are now going to shut their mouths. Salman Khan has returned
Russia will attack this country after Ukraine! Putin's friend leaked the plan
It seems that Russian President Vladimir Putin has a very long plan. So far, Russian affairs experts were saying that Russia will consider Ukraine by destroying it completely, but in the meantime,
Bloody round returned in Pakistan, remembered the murderous attack on Benazir Bhutto; Imran in hospital
Fawad Chaudhary, who was a minister in Imran Khan's government, says that this is a murderous attack on the former PM. This attack was done to take his life. Imran Khan is taking out a march from
Delhi: Shock to Arvind Kejriwal, DDCD Vice President Jasmine Shah sacked, office to be sealed on LG's instructions
The Aam Aadmi Party government, which is preparing for the Delhi Municipal Corporation elections 2022, suffered a major setback on Friday. Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena (Delhi LG VK Saxena)
Western UP lawyers suspend 3-day agitation for HC bench
Ghaziabad, Feb 4 (IANS) Lawyers agitating for setting up of a bench of Allahabad High Court in western Uttar Pradesh, decided to suspended their proposed Feb 5-7 boycott of the courts.The decision
