Congress faces dilemma as over 300 seek tickets for Karnataka legislative council elections

Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the party leadership is in a ”difficult position” as there are more than 300 ticket aspirants for the upcoming legislative council elections in the state.

Shivakumar, who is also the state’s deputy chief minister, said the party high command will decide on the tickets.

Biennial elections to 11 seats of the Karnataka Legislative Council to be elected by Members of the Legislative Assembly will be held on June 13.

As per the existing strength of parties in the assembly, the Congress can win 7 seats, the BJP three and JD(S) one seat.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar today left for New Delhi to discuss candidates with the Congress high command.

The schedule for filing nominations for the MLC election has already begun, and it will go on till June 3.

”There are more than 300 aspirants, they are from all sections. It is not possible to accommodate all sections for seven seats. There are also sitting members. All of them have worked for the party. There is no one who has not worked. Some of them got posts at block level, some at district and state level,” Shivakumar said before leaving for Delhi While speaking to reporters here, he said, ”Let’s see. Tickets have been sought for coastal regions, also for Kalyana Karnataka, Kittur Karnataka, Bengaluru and old Mysuru regions. We have to distribute to all regions. It is a difficult position (we are in)….Delhi (high command) will do it.” Reacting to Home Minister G Parameshwara’s statement that Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar should consult senior party leaders like him on the selection of candidates for MLC polls, the KPCC chief said, ”Surely, we will consult them.”