'The high command has promised to give representation for the Christian community in the future’
H.T. Sangliana, former MP, who had been holding talks
with the Janata Dal (Secular) after being upset over the lack of
representation of the Christian community in the candidate list
announced by the Congress for the Lok Sabha elections, beat a hasty
retreat on Saturday.
Satisfaction
He told The Hindu
that he had met a member of the Congress high command and was satisfied
with the promise that the Christian community would be given adequate
representation in the future. “I have decided to stay in the Congress
and campaign for Congress candidates.”
Mr. Sangliana
said he had invitations from the JD(S) and Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool
Congress to contest from the Bangalore Central constituency.
“I
was upset that the party has not fielded even a single candidate from
the Christian community in this election. This had never happened before
and I took up the matter with the high command.”
Representation
In
every previous election, Christians were given ticket in at least one
constituency and Muslims from at least two of the 28 Lok Sabha segments.
However, this time, the party has fielded just one
Muslim — Rizwan Arshad — in the list of 26 candidates announced so far.
Not a single Christian candidate figures in the list.
