Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar on Sunday said that the party’s second list of candidates for the Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka will be announced on March 20. Already, the Congress has announced candidates for seven seats out of total 28 in the State.
Speaking to reporters here, Mr. Shivakumar said the central election committee meeting of the party would be held on March 19 in Delhi and the party is likely to announce the list of candidates for 21 constituencies in the State on March 20.
A meeting of the State, the district, and the taluk-level “guarantee” implementation committee members meeting will be held on March 21. “We are going to assign Lok Sabha election responsibilities to them at the meeting,” Mr. Shivakumar said.
Expressing confidence that the party would win 20 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, the KPCC chief alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had begun his election campaign from Kalaburagi on March 16 fearing a defeat in the elections. Mr. Modi began his campaign in the State from the Kalaburagi constituency in 2019 also.
Meanwhile, Mr. Shivakumar has assigned the responsibility of organising tours of leaders and publicity campaigns of 14 districts each to Rajya Sabha member G.C. Chandrashekar, and MLA and the Chief Minister’s Economic Advisor Basavaraj Rayaraddi.
Mr. Chandrashekar has been given the charge of 14 districts of southern Karnataka that would go to polls on April 26, while Mr. Rayaraddi has been given the charge of 14 districts that would go to polls on May 7.
