The Congress had earlier appointed several ministers as in-charges of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies, entrusting them to shortlist three names from their respective seats.
Congress holds the Pradesh Election Committee meeting in Bengaluru on 19 January. (Supplied)
As the 2024 Lok Sabha polls rapidly approach, electoral activities are reaching a fever pitch in Karnataka.
On Friday, 19 January, Congress ministers in Karnataka submitted a roster of potential candidates for all 28 parliamentary seats to the Pradesh Election Committee (PEC). The Congress had chaired the Karnataka Pradesh Election Committee meeting at Bharat Jodo Auditorium in Bengaluru on Friday.
The meeting was convened under the headship of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, leader of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and AICC Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala.
A month earlier, the Congress had strategically appointed several ministers as in-charges for the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies. Tasked with the mission to meticulously narrow down choices to three names per seat, these ministers consulted local leaders and party workers for their inputs.
The culmination of this effort was presented to the PEC during the party’s election committee meeting.
The party’s high command has also issued a directive to all party secretaries to embark on a whirlwind tour of all districts within the next three days. Simultaneously, PEC members were encouraged to contribute personal suggestions concerning the shortlisted candidates for the Lok Sabha polls.
In the midst of these political moves, the Congress continues to prolong the release of the list of chairpersons for various Boards and Corporations.
Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar, shedding light on the matter, disclosed that 36 MLAs and 39 party workers are under consideration for chairmanship positions in these entities.
AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala asserted that deliberations persist in the finalisation of candidates for all 28 parliamentary seats in Karnataka. He affirmed the Congress’s readiness to confront the BJP-JD(S) alliance in the impending electoral battle.
Speaking to reporters after the election committee meeting, Surjewala remarked, “A meeting of the PEC was held today. It was presided over by the PCC president (DK Shivakumar) and CLP leader (Siddaramaiah).”
“The national screening committee that has been constituted, along with its chairman Harish Chaudhary (Rajasthan’s Baytu MLA) and also its member Jignesh Mevani (Gujarat’s Vadagam MLA), attend meetings with all members of the PEC,” added Surjewala.
On the PEC meeting, he said, “The Pradesh Election Committee has considered multiple names for all the 28 parliamentary seats. Further deliberations and suggestions are now being given.”
“We have requested all the members of the PEC to also give their individual suggestions to the chairman of the screening committee. Once this is done, the PCC will hold further deliberations with blocks, our candidates, former MLAs, MLAs, and party leaders and workers,” added the AICC General Secretary.
He further said, “AICC secretaries will also be travelling across all the districts in the next three days. The party is also conducting independent surveys.”
“The target of the KPCC is that, by the end of this month, our final recommendations are with the central election committee. The party is completely geared up. We are determined to decimate the unholy nexus of the BJP and Janata Dal (Secular) in the state,” Surjewala reiterated, insisting that the grand old party is ready to take up the fight against the NDA alliance in Karnataka.
In a significant development, speculation is rife in political circles that the Congress is contemplating fielding several ministers in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Minister for Science and Technology NS Boseraju told South First, “The PEC meeting was confined to the ministers submitting shortlisted candidates for all the 28 Lok Sabha seats to the screening committee. I have also submitted my shortlisted candidates.”
“The screening committee will scrutinise the shortlisted candidates list in all the segments. The party has also given instructions to secretaries to tour all the districts in the next three days. They will collect the opinion of the local leaders and party workers on the shortlisted candidates,” added Boseraju, who played a vital role in recently-concluded Telangana Assembly elections.
On whether any ministers’ names have been shortlisted for the Lok Sabha polls, he said, “The party high command will take a call on this matter. The ministers have done the job that was entrusted by the high command. It is left to the high command to decide whether they will field Cabinet ministers or not in the elections.”
However, according to sources in the party, “Ministers Satish Jarkiholi, HC Mahadevappa, RB Timmapur, KJ George, Ramalinga Reddy, and other Cabinet ministers’ names are doing the rounds as ministers likely to be the face of the Congress in Belagavi, Chamarajanagar, Vijayapura, Bengaluru Central, and South, respectively.”
On condition of anonymity, a senior Congress leader told South First, “Several senior ministers are among the shortlisted candidates for the Lok Sabha constituencies. Some of them are not keen to contest the polls.”
“The high command has made deliberations on this as well. The party is likely to take a decision on fielding ministers only after the survey and opinion of the local leaders. It is too early to comment as the ministers have only today submitted the shortlisted candidates list to the PEC,” added the Congress leader.
On some ministers likely to contest in the Lok Sabha polls, Surjewala said, “We have not given any instructions today. The meeting was chaired for the selections of candidates.”
He further clarified, “The PEC recommendations will come, then the screening committee recommendation will come. Once the screening committee recommendations are out, I will be able to say whether a sitting MLA or a minister will be contesting in the polls or not.”
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