Bengaluru sources stated that after a long wait, the Congress declared its candidates to 18 of the 20 Lok Sabha seats it is contesting in Karnataka on Saturday night and it has ceded the remaining eight seats to coalition partner JD(S). Furthermore Bengaluru South and Dharwad are missing from the list. Dharwad votes in the third phase on April 23 and there is still some time left for the party to choose its candidate but polling in Bengaluru South is on April 18 in the second phase and the last day to file nominations is March 26.
Presently rumors are abuzz with the news that Prime Minister Narendra Modi may contest from Bengaluru South and local Congress leaders claim they are expecting a surprise candidate from the constituency and the party high command has decided to wait and watch.
Moreover Bengaluru South is known to be an anti-Congress seat. Since 1977, it has elected only non-Congress MPs, except in 1989. Even though Karnataka BJP leaders maintain they have no information about PM Modi contesting from here, city police sources claim they have been asked to tighten security in Bengaluru City on Monday.
