Congress list sent to high command

CHIKMAGALUR: The Congress has sent a list containing five names to the party high command for the Udupi-Chikmagalur byelection. District Congress Committee president M L Murthy told mediapersons here on Friday that one among the five names — Jayaprakash Hegde, B L Shankar, D K Taradevi, B K Hariprasad and Vinayakumar Sorake — would be finalised soon.The scandals involving BJP leaders had created a conducive atmosphere for the Congress, he said, and welcomed CPI leader H M Renukaradhya’s announcement of support for a strong candidate for the bypoll.He accused the JD(S) of isolating Narendra Modi from the BJP in the north and Mahendra Kumar in the south, and appealed to the JD(S) leaders to take a         decision to support the Congress party. Murthy said issues like pending Karagada and Malaur pick-ups, stoppage of pension to the elderly and widows, illegal sand mining and non-formation of Akrama-Sakrama Committees would be raised during the byelections. Party leaders would meet on February 19 to discuss the party’s candidate choice for the upcoming byelection.