Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Aug 22: It has been learnt that the Congress high command has instructed the party's Karnataka unit to not promise party tickets to anyone for the next year's crucial state Assembly elections.

The seven rebel MLAs from JD(S) who have joined Congress have not been promised party tickets as claimed. The seven MLAs had met Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on August 16 and claimed that the Congress high command had promised them party tickets.

However, a senior Congress leader said that Rahul had assured that their 'interests' would be protected but had not promised party tickets.

The leader added that promising tickets to the JD(S) defectors could disappoint the party’s loyal workers as well as upset the rank and file. He said that many in Congress are already upset that newcomers will be favoured and have also been complaining to the high command that Siddaramaiah always gives importance to his erstwhile colleagues in the Janata Parivar.

The party is planning to field new faces and Congress will give tickets purely on the basis of an aspirant’s winnability, the Congress leader said, adding that there are plans to conduct a survey to gauge the popularity of each aspirant.

The Congress leaders had earlier urged the high command that selection of candidates should be a 'broad-based' exercise to ensure adequate representation of different castes and regions.