One more survey to select winnable candidates: DK Shivakumar

Bengaluru: The Congress has decided to commission one more survey to identify winnable candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said Wednesday.

Shivakumar, also the Karnataka Congress president, was speaking after the AICC screening committee meeting.

“We reviewed reports submitted by observers, district ministers and party workers. We have suggested another round of survey to further evaluate potential candidates. The list of candidates is not yet final. Another meeting will be held in New Delhi,” Shivakumar said. 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar attended the screening committee meeting with AICC leaders  Randeep Singh Surjewala, Harish Chaudhary, Roji John, Abhishek Dutt, Mayura Jayakumar, Jignesh Mevani and Vishwajeet Kadam attended the meeting. 

According to sources, the Congress had only a single name to pick in at least 15 constituencies. 

Asked when the list of candidates will be announced, Shivakumar said it must happen soon. “The list needs to be finalised at the earliest. We need at least 50% of the candidates to start election-related work,” he said. 

‘Guarantees’

Later in the day, at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting, Siddaramaiah urged lawmakers to vehemently defend the five guarantee schemes. 

“Supporters and voters of the BJP and JD(S) are beneficiaries of the guarantees. Both parties are constantly insulting beneficiaries. Truth is permanent. The guarantees have reached every village. This must be said with pride,” Siddaramaiah said. 

Siddaramaiah is said to have asked ministers to finalise party workers who should be appointed to the state-level, district-level and constituency-level committees to oversee the implementation of the guarantees. 

RS polls

The CLP meeting also congratulated Rajya Sabha nominees Ajay Maken, G C Chandrashekhar and Syed Nasir Hussain. 

Election to fill up four vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka is scheduled on February 27. Going by numbers in the Assembly, the Congress can win three and BJP one. In the event of the BJP-JD(S) combine fielding a fifth candidate, the Congress may ask its MLAs to hole up in a hotel before polls to prevent any possibility of cross-voting or abstention.