Mangaluru : The Congress, which is facing rebellion by two candidates, is engaged in a serious face-saving battle in the run-up to the Legislative Council elections from the local bodies constituency.

While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which just has one MLA each from both Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts and two Lok Sabha members, is confident of victory with what it claimed a 3,742 voter-base, the Congress, with a claimed voter-base of about 2,700, is engaged in hectic last-minute attempts, including offering Rs. 10,000 in cash each to voters, said Congress-rebel candidate K. Harikrishna Bantwal.

He added that it only showed the Congress’ distrust in its members.

The Congress’ cup of woes has become full after it decided to field incumbent MLC K. Pratapchandra Shetty for a third term despite his initial non-inclination to contest the elections.

Mr. Bantwal and K. Jayaprakash Hegde, who submitted applications for party ticket, turned rebels after the party’s decision to field Mr. Shetty again. Both the leaders have also accused Rajya Sabha member Oscar Fernandes of going against the sentiments of the party workers.

A senior Congress leader in Dakshina Kannada admitted that the party is facing a difficult situation following Mr. Shetty’s candidature, as he is believed not to have visited a single gram panchayat during his second term.

Still, the party should win the elections as it has sufficient numbers, the leader said.

The winning candidate in the dual-member constituency should get at least 2,200 (one-third of the total votes) first preference votes, he added.

The leader admitted that the party has to engage in wooing voters through different methods.

BJP voters, however, would not cast their second preference votes at all and the party’s aim is to get Kota Srinivasa Poojary elected with the highest margin — up to 3,800 first preference votes, said K. Pratap Simha Nayak, Dakshina Kannada district BJP president.

As a majority of the voters have been elected to gram panchayats for the first time, they keenly follow the party’s directions.

Recently, the party organised training camps for voters on the mode of casting votes, among others.

As regards offering cash to voters, Mr. Nayak said that the BJP need not indulge in such activities as it has a dedicated voter-base as well as a candidate who is acceptable to all voters.

The problem is with the Congress, whose candidate is not acceptable to many of that party’s cadre.

“Our voters have not been approached by the Congress in a large-scale, though there were reports of a few individuals being approached,” he said.