BENGALURU: The Congress, which is in a dilemma in finalising candidates in 25 Assembly constituencies where there are more aspirants, is holding a meeting with them at a resort on the outskirts of Bengaluru on March 8. KPCC leaders, who are striving to release the list of candidates for the upcoming Assembly elections at the earliest, are struggling to finalise their candidates from at least 25 constituencies.
The proposed meeting will be attended by AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala, Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC president DK Shivakumar and others. According to informed sources, the leaders are expected to convince candidates to opt out of the race and let the strongest and winnable candidate fight the polls.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, a senior Congress leader said, “We started preparing for the polls much ahead of the other parties. We aim to win not less than 150 seats. In some of the constituencies, we have sitting MLAs who are winnable candidates and we have no issues in these constituencies.
But we are facing challenges in those seats where leaders from the BJP and JDS have joined our party. If we have to touch the 150-seat mark, we need to give tickets to winnable candidates... and if we give tickets to such candidates (who are from other parties), our local leaders will get upset. This is a tricky situation,” the leader said.