With reports of three lists of candidates, one by CM Siddaramaiah, another by Deputy Chief Minister D.K.Shivakumar and another of the high command, the Delhi leaders have been caught in a fix over the candidates with each leader pushing for his favourite candidates.  

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The KPCC screening committee held a meeting last week and sent the list to the high command. In fact, the party was supposed to release the list on  March 14 but Siddaramaiah's packed itinerary kept him in Karnataka.

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Though, Shivakumar was in Delhi last week nothing could be decided in the absence of the chief minister. So the selection of the candidates was put off yet again.

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On Tuesday morning, Siddaramaiah left for New Delhi on a special flight to attend the meeting to be attended by the AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC General Secretary and incharge of Karnataka affairs Ranadip Singh Surjewala and K.C.Venugopal and others. The return journey of the CM was kept open depending upon the duration of the meeting.

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If the meeting ends early, Siddaramaiah would return Tuesday night or stay back in case the discussions remained inconclusive.

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Sources told this reporter that with a majority of the ministers reluctant to contest, the high command had asked them to field their sons or daughters and ensure their victory.

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But the CM was not in favor of this proposal especially in regard to a couple of constituencies because his deputy had been trying hard to get them tickets.

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Siddaramaiah feels that it would send a wrong signal if tickets were given to kith and kin of the ministers and it would be difficult to defend.