K'taka Cong mulls fielding Priyanka for RS

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Congress is contemplating fielding Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for the Rajya Sabha from the State to boost the party ahead of next year's Assembly elections.

Sources in the Congress confirmed that its state unit chief D.K. Shivakumar and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah have already approached Priyanka Gandhi on this matter.

They have reportedly explained to the Congress leader that her grandmother late Indira Gandhi and mother Sonia Gandhi had earlier contested elections from Karnataka and emerged victorious.

While Indira Gandhi had contested from Chikkamagaluru in 1978, Sonia Gandhi contested from Ballari in 1999.

Their arrival in the state's political arena had worked well for the Congress in terms of election results. Hence, the Congress now wants to field Priyanka Gandhi for the Rajya Sabha from the state.

Sources in the Congress said that Priyanka Gandhi has assured to take a call on the matter after discussing it with the senior party leaders.

Meanwhile, Shobha Karandlaje, BJP MP and Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, welcomed Congress' plan to field Priyanka Gandhi for the Upper House.

"Priyanka Gandhi would be the third generation contestant from the Gandhi family to enter the Parliament. I welcome her," she stated.

However, she also said that instead of entering the Parliament through backdoors by getting elected to the Rajya Sabha, she should contest the Lok Sabha elections from any of the constituencies in Karnataka.

"The situation of Congress is not good. She could rejuvenate it," she underlined.

Karandlaje also said that she wished Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman contests the Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka.

"There are discussions regarding this... Many stalwarts who entered the Parliament from Karnataka have reached great heights," she said.