Cong defends CM's decision

 The ruling Congress today defended Chief Minister S M Krishna's decision to change his constituency from Maddur to Chamarajpet in Bangalore and dismissed as "meaningless and irrelevant" the opposition criticism against him on the issue.

Party spokesman V R Sudarshan told reporters here that there was "nothing new" in changing the constituency as former chief ministers late S Nijalingappa and Ramakrishna Hegde and H D Devegowda also had done it in the past.

He said it was the decision of the party high command and the state Pradesh Congress committee and dubbed the opposition criticism as "meaningless".

The Chief Minister did not announce the constituency earlier because he did not want to seek publicity, Minister for Kannada and Culture Rani Satish said.

The party also asked candidates, who had filed their nominations without their names being cleared officially, to withdraw from the race or face expulsion from the party.

Sudarshan said winnability, social justice and their service were taken into consideration in selection of candidates.