Mansoor Ali Khan, son of former Union Minister K. Rahman Khan and the sole Muslim candidate not only from the Congress but from any major party in Karnataka in the coming Lok Sabha polls, has been fielded from Bangalore Central parliamentary constituency where he faces the challenging task of wresting the seat from BJP.
While sitting BJP member P.C. Mohan has won the seat in the last three elections, the Congress, which won five out of eight Assembly constituencies that comprise the parliamentary constituency in the 2023 elections, is hopeful this time.
Making it more of a prestige issue is the fact that out of the five seats it holds are those won by Power Minister K.J. George, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao, and Housing and Wakf Minister Zameer Ahmad Khan.
The Congress has tasked the ministers to ensure the victory of Mansoor Ali Khan despite initial infighting and the absence of top leaders of the Congress at the time of filing of nomination.
Congress MLA from Shanthinagar Assembly constituency N.A. Haris was lobbying for the ticket for his son Mohammed Nalpad while Political Secretary to the Chief Minister Naseer Ahmed was also an aspirant, and both remained aloof from the campaign earlier.
However, Mansoor Ali Khan is well educated and the trustee of KK Educational and Charitable Trust, established by his father, which has made significant contributions in the field of education, including setting up of the first DPS school in Bengaluru.
Taking up intensified campaigning in the constituency, he has been highlighting the fact that there has been no development in the constituency for 15 years now. On the other hand, BJP candidate P.C. Mohan, seeking his fourth consecutive term.
Mohan had defeated Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad by 70,968 votes in the 2019 polls and by 1.37 lakh votes in 2014. However, in 2009, he won against Congress' H.T. Sangliana by around 35,000 votes. He was elected from Bengaluru's Chickpet Assembly constituency twice - in 1999 and 2004.
The BJP, which holds the C.V. Ramannagar, Rajajinagar, and Mahadevapura assembly segments, is also hopeful that the alliance with the JD-S will fetch them more votes.
(With inputs from IANS)
