For Karnataka Polls, Congress Panel To Meet Tomorrow To Pick Candidates

The Congress Central Election Committee will meet in the national capital on March 17, Friday, to pick the candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, sources said.

Karnataka is scheduled to go to polls later this year.

While the BJP has already hit campaign mode in the southern state where it is in power, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Belagavi on March 20 to campaign for the polls.

Earlier, on March 9, top Congress leaders held consultations on ticket distribution for constituencies in Karnataka's Vijayapura district, as part of its preparations for the upcoming electoral contest.

Among those present at the meeting were Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, the party's Election Ticket Scrutiny Committee chairman Mohan Prakash, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Commitee president DK Shivakumar and former chief minister and Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, Siddaramaiah.

Earlier, on March 6, Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar talked up his party's prospects in the upcoming elections, claiming that the ruling BJP would not be able to secure more than 65 seats.

"We're confident of securing good numbers in the elections. We know the BJP will not get more than 65 seats. From what I have gathered from my sources, the BJP's tally might even come down to 40 seats," Mr Shivakumar told reporters, recalling the time when the saffron party won a paltry 40 seats under the chief ministership of BS Yediyurappa.

Mr Shivakumar claimed that all the people in his state, including farmers, were saying that the BJP will not get more than 65 seats this time.

"We have almost finalised 75 per cent of seat allotments. A decision on all seats will be taken soon after we will send the names of candidates to the high command for its approval," he added.
On March 2, in an exclusive interview with ANI, Karnataka CM Basavraj Bommai said the BJP will win the Assembly elections with a full majority and the Congress's attempt to wrest power by making false promises will not succeed.

On Congress's prospects in the elections, Mr Bommai said the grand old party was making a desperate attempt to win the polls but they won't succeed as their track record while in power was bad.
The CM said the Congress, during its tenure, did nothing for the people and only worked to create divisions in society.

"They did nothing for the SCs and STs. That is why they are not in the government. Now they are trying to wrest power by making promises that are impossible to meet. They are saying they will give Rs 2,000 to each household and for that, they require Rs 24,000 thousand crores. How will they raise this huge amount? The Congress is desperate to win the polls, which is why they are making such false promises," Mr Bommai said earlier this month.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)