If one goes by State Congress chief G Parameshwara, face of Aadhaar and Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani has agreed to contest lok Sabha polls 2014 against BJP’s veteran HN Ananth Kumar, who is a sitting MP from Bangalore South. According to Parameshwara, Nandan was keen in contesting lS polls.
He said, “Nandan Nilekani met me in Delhi and shared his views... I have conveyed to him whatever I should as KPCC president. Nilekani had shown interest in the 2014 polls. It is a good development if such people enter politics.”
After the humiliating defeat in four States in Assembly polls, Congress has changed its strategy in Karnataka, which is a key State for the ruling party where the party is banking on to get more seats in the lok Sabha polls. Karnataka is the only State in south where the Congress is focusing to garner more seats under CM Siddaramaiah who is playing minority politics at the hilt.
There’s been an intense speculation about the former Infosys chief contesting the lS polls. He’s even touted to be a probable Congress prime ministerial candidate if Rahul Gandhi is yet again unwilling to take that position. It is learnt Nandan Nilekani was chosen by Rahul and asked the State unit of the party to just include him for Bangalore south.
The Congress State Election Committee meeting on December 14 discussed probable candidates for the 28 lok Sabha constituencies. According to sources, Nilekani’s name was shortlisted along with IIM-B professor Rajeev Gowda and Agriculture Minister Krishna Byregowda.