Karnataka Congress grapples with leadership and candidate selections

Former Karnataka chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy returned from an overseas trip and is set to finalize the party’s candidates for the state Legislative Council and Assembly. He will hold talks with BJP leaders as part of the NDA alliance to decide on nominations, with names such as former minister D.V. Sadananagoud and former MP Sumalatha Ambareesh mentioned as potential council candidates. The Congress expects to win a few council seats and several assembly seats, while the BJP and JD(S) also vie for limited positions.

In a parallel development, senior Congress figure Satish Jarakiholi met a delegation of 21 landlords in Bangalore to press for greater representation of Dalits, Adivasis and other marginalized communities in the party’s leadership and a new cabinet. The meeting emphasized the demand that the KPCC presidency and ministerial posts be offered to leaders from these groups, influencing the party’s internal power balance ahead of upcoming elections.