BENGALURU: The Congress is ready for the upcoming by-elections to Hangal and Sindagi, KPCC president DK Shivakumar said on Tuesday. The party has chosen one candidate for the bypolls, and the other will be decided shortly by central party leaders, he said. He said the Congress is one large family, and there is no discord. The decision made by AICC President Sonia Gandhi and former party president Rahul Gandhi will be final.
Shivakumar, who is in New Delhi for the organisational revamp the Congress is attempting before the 2023 elections in Karnataka, said many office-bearers were appointed about 10-12 years ago, and the party is seeking to appoint a new team since March this year. Shivakumar said he had held discussions with RS Surjewala and Mallikarjun Kharge, and the list for the new office-bearers will be ready by Ayudha Puja.
Asked about opposition leader Siddaramaiah’s claims about the future Chief Minister, he said he has no information about any such statement. “While the JDS is targeting 123 seats and BJP is targeting 150 seats, the Congress is targeting 224 seats,’’ he said.
On the issue of giving tickets to disgruntled legislators from other parties who are joining the Congress, he said a committee will look into it. Some legislators from other parties have expressed interest in joining the Congress, and this has been discussed with the central leadership.