By Team Mangalorean

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2008 - Complete Coverage

MANGALORE, April 23, 2008: With the second phase of electioneering beginning today Mangalore and Udupi districts are raging with grapevine. These two districts will come into the second phase for which polling will be held on May 16.

With last day for filing nominations only a few days away the Congress party is endlessly delaying its second list which has given way to endless grapevine also. Suddenly there are maverick ticket hunters and names floated just out of the box! Most amusing aspect of the affair is that everyone appear to be saying that they have got the ticket, but none of them are able to confirm.

The party leadership however is maintaining a dignified silence over the issue of tickets. The names that have come across the board includes that of Suresh Ballal, P.V. Mohan, Gangadhar Gowda, K.M. Ibrahim, Rakesh Malli, Bondala Jagannath Shetty and Kallige Tharanath Shetty. They had applied for the ticket but their applications have been confined to the table of the Congress office in Mangalore.

Congress high command still at work?!

However, the party sources confirmed news that the list including a several probables has reached the Congress office in the district. The list includes Mohideen Bawa for Mangalore North, Ramanatha Rai for Bantwal, Bharat Mundodi or Kripa Alva for Puttur, U.T. Khader for Mangalore, Vasanth Bangera for Belthangady, Dr. Raghu  for Sullia, Ivan D'Souza for Mangalore South and Abhayachandra for Moodbidiri.

The old war horse Gangadhar Gowda and the old faithful Suresh Ballal are now preparing to jump into the fray as independents in Mangalore and Bantwal respectively. The Congress workers are aghast in Puttur after hearing the name of Kripa Alva. She is totally new to the political field and also to Puttur. The workers there are asking how and why should an outsider be foisted on the people of Puttur? But Alva appears to be confident and she could be the ideal candidate for Congress considering the BJP fielding a woman candidate here and on the other side BJP rebel Shakuntala Shetty preparing to take a plunge into the fray as rebel BJP candidate.

The most expected name that has arrived on the scene is that of Bharat Mundodi in Puttur. A party loyalist Mr. Mundodi is the brother of late Nithyananda Mundodi a long time worker of the Congress. Mr. Mundodi is a man for the job as he can marshal resources for a Congress win in Puttur.

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2008 - Complete Coverage