The ruling Janata Dal Secular (JDS)-Congress coalition in Karnataka received a jolt as its candidate for the Davangere Lok Sabha constituency, Shamanur Shivashankarappa, declined to contest.
As the 87-year-old Congress leader rejected the offer, the party is on a frantic search for a suitable candidate.
Shivashankarappa, who is the President of the
The party is now reconsidering Mallikarjun and is also looking at HB Manjappa, district president of the KPCC and former a zilla panchayat member, and Tejaswi Patel, a zilla panchayat member and nephew of former Chief Minister JH Patel.
The BJP has fielded GM Siddeshwara as its candidate. The Congress has to take a decision in a couple of days as the last date for filing of nomination papers is April 4.