All the nine sitting MPs from Karnataka, besides finalizing the name of Nandan Nilekani for Bangalore South has been renominated by the Congress Election Committee (CEC), headed by AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
Besides Bangalore South, the CEC cleared candidates for two constituencies the Congress is looking to wrest from the BJP.
Laxmi Hebbalkar, has been given the ticket to contest from Belgaum, heads the Belgaum Rural Congress unit. Hebbalkar, 38, a post-graduate in political science, had lost the 2013 assembly election from Belgaum Rural. The party is fielding former judge N Y Hanumanthappa from Bellary. He had lost from the same constituency in 2009.
The Congress looking forward to regain Bellary, which was its bastion before it was captured by the Reddy brothers.
Nilekani, who heads the UIDAI, has started the ball rolling by campaigning in Bangalore South, where he takes on BJP leader HN Ananth Kumar.
The CEC is expected to meet again on February 21 or March 3 to clear the rest of the names.