It is sheer political irony at play in Bangalore Central, where Congress is betting on its one-time bitter rival, a “super cop”, to score victory in this urban Parliamentary constituency.
The 66-year-old “super cop” H T Sangliana, who trounced Congress warhorse C K Jaffer Sharief to win Bangalore North seat as a BJP candidate in 2004, has done it again!
Sangliana has upstaged Sharief in securing Congress ticket to contest from the newly formed Bangalore Central.
A giant killer then, defeating the former union minister Sharief, Sangliana, a former Bangalore Police Commissioner, is now donning a new hat as a Congress candidate.
Sangliana, who was among the dissenting saffron voices to join the Ayes in the critical vote of confidence sought by the UPA Government on the Indo-US nuclear deal in Lok Sabha, received his ‘good-boy´ gift for his support.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi rewarded him for that dissenting note, overlooking the party’s long-time loyal leader Sharief’s demand to contest from Bangalore Central. Sharief has instead been given a ticket from Bangalore North.
Shed of his saffron tag, Sangliana is now banking on his image of the no-nonsense ‘supercop’ and the work done by him as an MP from Bangalore North to win against BJP’s P C Mohan and JD(S)’ Zameer Ahmed.