Second List of 17 Candidates for K'taka Congress Finalised: Dy CM Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President, D.K. Shivakumar, said on Wednesday that the second list of 17 candidates in the state for the Lok Sabha elections has been finalised.

Speaking to the media in New Delhi, Shivakumar added that another round of discussion would be held by the party for the remaining four candidates in Bengaluru.

Earlier on March 8, Congress had announced names of seven candidates in the first list for the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka.

The opinions from locals have to be collected for four Lok Sabha seats in the state for which a meeting has been called by the party leaders of these constituencies, the Deputy Chief Minister said.

"Afterwards we will discuss the finalisation of the four candidates on Zoom call," he added.

When asked about the confusion regarding the Kolar seat, Shivakumar said: "The party's leaders from Kolar seat have given their opinion. However, they will be taken into due consideration when the party takes a final decision."

The names of the Congress candidates given by the district in-charge Ministers were discussed in the Central Election Committee meeting, he added.

When asked about tickets given to the families of sitting Cabinet ministers in the Lok Sabha elections in the state, Shivakumar said: "In a political system there is a difference in roping in new candidates and fielding those who have worked earlier. The families of Ministers are given tickets in the whole of the country."

"This time five candidates are contesting for the first time. As much as 50 per cent tickets are given to young faces. This is a big change in the history of the Congress party," he added.

"We have given opportunities to educated youth. All are efficient and everyone will have to shoulder responsibilities," Shivakumar said.

When asked about roping in former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader D.V. Sadananda Gowda, who had been denied ticket to contest the Lok Sabha polls, Shivakumar said that he will not discuss this matter in public.

"I have not discussed other parties. Media is showing that many leaders have been done injustice within the BJP. The time will answer for this," he added.

Talking about allegations of distributing freebies to voters in Bengaluru Rural MP constituency by former Chief Minister and JD (S) President H.D. Kumaraswamy, Shivakumar said that freebies were distributed before announcement of the Lok Sabha election.

Reacting to the allegations levelled by Kumaraswamy that the previous Congress-JD (S) government collapsed because of Shivakumar, the latter added: "If his role was to be there in bringing down the coalition government let god punish him."

"Though, I had differences with him (Kumaraswamy), I stood with him as per the direction of the Congress high command. The people of Karnataka have seen it. Let Kumaraswamy get well soon," Shivakumar said.