JOIN USCongress workers aspiring to contest the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) polls are thronging the party office on Queen’s Road, to secure a ticket.
Hundreds of aspirants submitted applications seeking tickets to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who is also Bengaluru Urban district in-charge Minister, on his visit to the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office on Saturday.
Among those who submitted applications include a large number of women. This is because 50 per cent of the 198 seats is reserved for women in the BBMP council.
A majority of the aspirants were from Assembly constituencies represented by non-Congress MLAs such as Mahalakshmi Layout, Rajajinagar, Dasarahalli and Basavanagudi. Normally, the local MLA will have the final say in the selection of party candidates for BBMP wards. In the absence of MLAs, the party leaders will take the decision.
The aspirants urged Reddy to give tickets to only the layout party workers and demanded not to entertain party hoppers.
They also urged the minister not to give ticket to those having criminal background and underworld connection.
Panel to be set up
Ramalinga Reddy later told reporters that the State-level election committee will be set up to select the party candidates.
The selection will be done after consulting the party workers at the ward level. The State Congress has sold about 500 applications to those aspiring to contest the polls. The party started distributing applications on Saturday. July 2 is the last date for submitting the filled-in applications.