Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Feb 18: Congress high command, which is making preparations for the upcoming Lok Sabha election in all earnestness, has already received the list of probable candidates from the party for all the 28 constituencies in Karnataka. The list was submitted by the in-charge secretary of the state.
The list, it is said, contains names of three to five aspirants from each of these constituencies. The list was submitted to the high command by in-charge of Congress affairs in Karnataka, K C Venugopal.
In-charge secretaries appointed to undertake surveys and finalize the lists of aspirants in four divisions of the state, Madhu Yashki Gouda, Sake Sailajanath, Vishnunathan, Manikyam Tagore, and Yashomathi Thakoor, had recently held meetings in their respective divisions and collected details about the aspirants. They too have submitted individual lists to the party high command.
K C Venugopal
Even though Congress has agreed to enter into pre-poll understanding with JD(S) in the state, it was decided to hold survey by All India Congress Committee about winning chances, party's potential in the local area, and public opinion about candidates, before finalizing the list. Congress high command, it is gathered, wants to undertake survey in two phases. In the first phase, it wants to collect public opinion about the candidate in the local constituencies.
At the same time, the state unit of Congress too has decided to gather public opinion about the ticket aspirants. The state leaders also want to collect individual opinions from the district presidents of the party. The party might instruct the district presidents to submit names secretly in sealed envelopes. The party, it is said, wants to conduct another constituency-wise survey during second week of March, as it expects election to be held during April, before finalizing the names of candidates.
It is said that Congress high command has begun survey work in 12 districts of north Karnataka through a Mumbai-based private company. It might submit the first phase of report on its survey by the end of this month, sources said.