Over the past few months, Shanthinagar MLA, NA Haris, has been in the news after his son Mohammed Haris Nalapad brutally assaulted a man at a prominent Bengaluru café.
The brutality of the assault had raised questions on whether the Congress in Karnataka would offer Haris a ticket for the upcoming elections.
Congress insiders say that it is likely that Haris will get the ticket to contest for the Shantinagar seat this time around as well.
Currently, Shantinagar has three ticket aspirants – the incumbent MLA – NA Haris, former Congress MLC RV Venkatesh and the President of the Congress’ Bengaluru Unit, Lakshmi Venkatesh.
“Over the past few years, no other leader has been in touch with the constituents like Haris. It may be so that his son was mired in controversies but he also has the people’s support. His initiative to give school kits has got him the support of his constituents. He cannot be denied a ticket for his son’s wrongdoing,” a Congress source said.
According to a leader who was part of the 42-member election selection committee, formed to pick the candidates, an internal survey commissioned by the party has predicted results in favour of Haris and this has disappointed Lakshmi Venkatesh.
“Lakshmi Venkatesh has requested senior party leaders to consider the fallout if the ticket is given to Haris. He has said that it would become a fodder for the opposition, who will begin making claims of corruption. He is a ticket aspirant and he was making his case, that’s all,” the source said.
The Congress leader says that Haris’ ability to connect with his constituency makes him a winnable candidate as he has carried out several programmes to benefit them over the past five years.
“The perception created in the media about Haris may portray him as some one who is feared by his constituents but that is not true. In many areas like the LR Nagar slum and Ejipura area, people still consider him as their leader because he has helped so many people there. The controversy surrounding his son was not his fault and the survey shows that they are on his side. Winnability is the criteria and so the high command may not consider the assault case,” the source said.