Assembly by-polls: Cong in Karnataka to send candidates' list to high command in 2-3 days

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said the ruling Congress will send a final report on probable candidates for the November 13 by-polls for three Assembly seats in the state to the party high command in two-three days.

The preparations for the by-polls will formally begin on Thursday, Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, said.

“We will do our job. Today we have some programme. Let it get over. From tomorrow, we will take it up (poll preparations). We have already held our local meetings. In two-three days we will send a final report on candidates (to the Congress high command),” he said in response to a question.

Speaking to reporters here, he said that he and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will hold discussions on the by-polls and candidates on Wednesday.

Noting that Congress general secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, who heads the Parliaments’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is visiting the city to attend a PAC related meeting, Shivakumar said, “we will meet him in the evening….he is our leader.” The Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced that the bypolls to Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna will be held on November 13, and the results will be declared on November 23.

The last date for filing nominations is October 25, and the final date for withdrawal of papers is October 30.

By-polls for Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna are necessitated, as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives — E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) — to Lok Sabha in May elections.