Nandan Nilekani, Unique Identification Authority of India Chairman and Infosys co-founder, has joined the Congress Party and will contest for the Bangalore South Lok Sabha seat.
The technocrat will be up against BJP’s Ananth Kumar who has been representing the constituency since 1996 from the Southern part of Bangalore.
The announcement came a day after the Congress made him the candidate for Bangalore Lok Sabha constituency.
The constituency has a large concentration of IT firms and the party hopes that Nilekani will be in a better position to connect with these stakeholders, according to party sources.
Talking about his entry into politics Nilekani said: “I think politics needs a change, new people, people with a clean image, people with experience in problem solving and who are local.”
A few days before this announcement, the party had begun championing his ca
use. The message of Nilekani giving 60 crore Indians Aadhar cards was circulated in the form of pamphlets and banners in the city. “I look forward to working with the party because the party is going through change and have been invited to be part of the change,” Nilekani added.
In the 2013 Assembly elections, of the eight Assembly segments under the Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency, Congress and BJP each won four seats.
Further, industry watchers say Nilekani has a daunting task in front of him with the polls less than six weeks away. Election in Karnataka is scheduled for April 17.