Karnataka elections: Congress screening panel discussed ticket distribution to 170 seats so far with unanimity, says state chief DK Shivakumar

Congress chief in Karnataka, D K Shivakumar on Thursday said the party's screening committee has discussed ticket distribution to about 170 assembly constituencies so far, and there is unanimity of opinion.

Winnability, social justice and commitment to party are the major criteria being considered for ticket distribution, he noted and said efforts are on to reach out to aspirants in several constituencies to have unanimity on the candidates.

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly with a total of 224 seats is likely to go for polls by May.

Click here to get more stock market updates I Zee Business Live 

"We have discussed 170 seats, still about 50 odd seats are left. We will discuss and send our opinion to the Central Election Committee. There is unanimity in opinion, everything is going on smoothly without any confusion," Shivakumar said. Speaking to reporters here, he said he was also making efforts to reach out to those who had applied for tickets, to ensure that there is unanimity and there are no differences regarding the candidates.

"I am calling leaders and ticket aspirants in about 50-60 constituencies to iron out differences, if any, from tomorrow.. I'm speaking to those from Chikkamagaluru this evening, to ensure that there is unanimity. Everyone will have desire as they are confident that Congress will win the polls and it will come to power, defeating the BJP," he added.

Senior Congress leader Mohan Prakash is the chair of the screening committee, which has party leaders Neeraj Dangi, Mohammed Jawed and Saptagiri Ulaka as members.

Shivakumar, CLP Leader Siddaramaiah, AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, Leader of the Opposition in Council B K Hariprasad, KPCC Campaign Committee Chief M B Patil, manifesto committee chief G Parameshwara, and AICC secretaries in charge of Karnataka are its ex-officio members.

Responding to a question, Shivakumar said winnability is important for the party and not individuals.

"Keeping this in mind, we will select the candidates, along with that social justice and commitment to the party will also be kept in mind," he said.

As Congress aims to come to power in Karnataka with an absolute majority, the KPCC chief had on Tuesday said that the recent survey has predicted a tally of over 140 seats for the party.

EC team arrives in Karnataka to review preparations for assembly polls

A team of Election Commission officials led by the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Thursday arrived in the city to assess the readiness for assembly elections in the state.

The team comprising election commissioners Anup Chandra Pandey and Arun Goel is on a three-day visit to Karnataka, where assembly elections are due by May. 

After reaching the state capital, the team held a meeting today at the Vikasa Soudha with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka Manoj Kumar Meena and other officers. 

It will interact with the representatives of various political parties to seek their suggestion, opinion and complaints. 

The team will also attend an international conference on 'Inclusive Elections and Elections Integrity' here, which will see participation of election commissioners of various democratic countries. 

On March 10, the EC will hold a meeting with the deputy commissioners of all the districts regarding the preparation being made for the upcoming elections. 

Later, the EC will inaugurate an exhibition on elections, before flagging off LED vehicles meant for voter awareness. 

The election commissioners will hold a press conference on March 11 before flying back to Delhi.

Click here to get more stock market updates I Zee Business Live