To give representation to Kodavas and to check the growing clout of the BJP in Kodagu, Congress president Sonia Gandhi has hand-picked Shantheyanda Veena Achaiah as an MLC candidate. 
Though Veena’s name was not in the list of candidates for the Karnataka Legislative Council presented by chief minister Siddaramaiah and state Congress president Dr G. Parameshwar, Ms Gandhi is reported to have recommended the name of the senior Congress leader from Kodagu.
Ms Gandhi also quizzed the state Congress leaders why they did not have the name of a woman in the list.
Veena, presently chairman of the Karnataka Handloom Development Corporation, has been given the ticket to contest the polls to the Karnataka Legislative Council from the Assembly.
The senior Congress leader has served as president of the Kodagu zilla panchayat.