MLC polls: 'Cong candidates to be finalised after another round of meeting'

Bengaluru: The list of candidates for the Legislative Council elections would be finalised after another round of meeting with the high command, said informed Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.

Addressing presspersons on the selection of candidates for the Legislative Council, he said, “I had one round of meeting with the high command and the list of eligible candidates has been submitted. The list will be finalised after another round of meeting with the AICC President and other leaders.”

“There are more than 300 aspirants for the ticket. We would have loved to accommodate all communities but it has not been possible to do so due to the limited number of seats. We have recommended some names to the High Command. The ministers and the AICC Secretary have also made their recommendations. Many seats will become vacant in two years’ time and many will be accommodated then. Priority is being given to those who have worked for the party,” he said. “We all have to listen to the party. We have submitted our list, and the high command will take a list from the AICC Secretary. The selection will be based on the contribution of the party.”

Asked about opposition to giving tickets to family members of party leaders, he said, “There is no family politics here, only one family member is being given a ticket, as the high command had promised it previously.” Replying to a query about whether Yatindra would be given a ticket, he said, “We have given our words to some people and we have to go by them.”

Replying to a query on Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Kanyakumari on May 30, he said, “I would not want to comment on individual dharmic practices. It is his choice.” Asked about Prime Minister Modi’s statement that he was sent by God to work for the country, he said, “Our party has already commented on it, I have nothing more to add to it.”

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday mocked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “sent by God” remarks and said that PM Modi was sent by his “parmatma (his God)” to help industrialists, Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani and not poor. This comes after PM Modi said in an interview that he (PM) had been “sent by parmatma” (God).

Addressing a rally in Deoria, Rahul Gandhi said that the God in whom PM Modi has faith hadn’t sent him to serve farmers and labourers. The Congress leader promised at the rally that he would tear apart the Agnipath scheme and throw it in a dustbin.

Rahul Gandhi also said that if the INDIA bloc forms the government after June 4, it would open all closed industries and fill up three million job vacancies. Gandhi was addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

(With ANI inputs)