Home » Karnataka » Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 Congress First List Likely On 17 March Says Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Assembly elections 2023: Congress first list likely on 17 March, says Siddaramaiah

The screening committee set up AICC mulled over three days before shortlisting names for 170 constituencies last week.

Published Mar 13, 2023 | 7:11 PM ⚊UpdatedMar 13, 2023 | 7:11 PM

In a series of tweets, Siddaramaiah stated that language does not reflect knowledge and it is just a medium of communication. (Twitter)

Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Monday, 13 March, said the first list of the party’s candidates for the Karnataka Assembly polls, is most likely to be announced on 17 March.

The screening committee for Karnataka Assembly elections set up by the AICC spent three days last week mulling over candidates.

Names of shortlisted candidates for about 170 seats were then sent to the AICC’s central election committee.

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Incumbent MLAs to get tickets

All incumbent MLAs of the Congress in Karnataka are set to get tickets from the party and another 20 seats have a candidate each lined up for the election.

About 80 constituencies have more than one aspirant and close to a dozen constituencies have more than four aspirants for tickets.

The party is also planning to reserve 20-30 seats for candidates who may join from other parties like BJP and JDS closer to the election.

Siddaramaiah added that winnability is the ‘major criterion’ for the ticket distribution to the Assembly polls, which is likely by May.

“The first list (of candidates) will most likely be out on 17 March, because there is a meeting of the (party’s) central election committee that day and the first list may get finalised,” Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters in Davangere, he said, “Winnability is the criteria and we will give tickets to those, whom our reports favour.”

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‘Screening committee reviewed applications’

State Congress president DK Shivakumar recently said that the screening committee of the party has reviewed all the applications of the aspirants, and the opinion of the screening committee will be sent to the central election committee of the AICC for the final review.

The Congress has set a target of winning at least 150 seats in the 224-member Assembly, to come to power in Karnataka after the upcoming polls, with a clear majority.

While JD(S) has already announced the first list of 93 candidates for Assembly polls, BJP and Congress are yet to announce their list.

With internal surveys of both — Congress and BJP — suggesting that ticket distribution may swing the election results, both parties are treading cautiously on the exercise.