Karnataka assembly polls: Congress announces first list of 124 candidates

The Congress party on Saturday announced the first list of candidates for the Karnataka assembly elections.
The names of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and State party president DK Shivakumar are included in the first list of 124 candidates. Siddaramaiah will be contesting from the Varuna constituency while DK Shivakumar would be the candidate from Kanakapura.
Earlier, Siddaramaiah had expressed his interest to contest from the Kolar constituency but the Congress High Command instructed him to drop the plan following disagreements between the party’s local leaders in the constituency. The party has fielded M Roopakala from the Kolar Gold Field constituency.
DK Shivakumar, earlier, on March 6, talked up his party’s prospects in the upcoming elections, claiming that the ruling BJP would not be able to secure more than 65 seats.
Shivakumar claimed that all the people in his state, including farmers, were saying this.
“We have almost finalised 75 per cent of seat allotments. A decision on all seats will be taken soon after we will send the names of candidates to the high command for its approval,” he added.
On March 2, in an exclusive interview with ANI, Karnataka CM Basavraj Bommai said the BJP will win the Assembly elections.
On Congress’s prospects in the elections, Bommai said the party was making a desperate attempt to win the polls but it would succeed as its track record while in power was bad. The CM said the Congress, during its tenure, did nothing for the people and only worked to create divisions in society.
“They did nothing for the SCs and STs. That is why they are not in the government. Now they are trying to wrest power by making promises that are impossible to meet. They are saying they will give Rs 2,000 to each household and for that, they require Rs 24,000 thousand crores. How will they raise this huge amount? The Congress is desperate to win the polls, which is why they are making such false promises,” Bommai said earlier this month.