Mandya: Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the Congress has decided to field the incumbent MP, Ramya, from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency in the Lok Sabha elections.

As All-India Congress Committee (AICC) vice-president Rahul Gandhi will take part in a roadshow (from Tumkur to Mysore via Mandya) on Sunday, Mr. Shivakumar convened a preparatory meeting with party workers here on Thursday.

Mr. Shivakumar said AICC president Sonia Gandhi had decided to issue the ticket to Ms. Ramya, as well as his brother D.K. Suresh, Kanakapura MP.

“You [party workers] should work for Ms. Ramya’s victory,” he said.

Promising that the State government would improve development of the district, he said that Ms. Gandhi had directed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to release more funds to Mandya district.

“Our opponents are Janata Dal (Secular) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the district. These two parties have lost their base in the district. Also, there are no groups in the Congress. Everyone should work for the party,” he said.

The former Minister and Mandya District Congress Committee president M.S. Atmananda, former MLA K.B. Chandrashekar, former MLA Madhu G. Madegowda, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee members Ravindra Srikantaiah and T.S. Sathyananda, and Mandya City Municipal Council (CMC) members Mahesh and Bore Gowda were present.