Hit the ground, special team is watching: K’taka Congress chief to ticket aspirants

Stressing the need to hit the ground, Karnataka Congress President D K Shivakumar on Friday made it clear to his partymen including the sitting legislators and aspirants that it was the most important criteria for the candidacy to 2023 Assembly polls in the State.

He was addressing a meeting of KPCC office-bearers and Bharat Jodo Yatra coordinators, as the march would enter the State through Chamarajanagar district on September 30.

“…I have told all MLAs there is no bargain…AICC has officially appointed a separate team under Sunil (political strategist Sunil Kanugolu) to do a political analysis. Rahul Gandhi had called us leaders and said a team has been constituted. There are 600 people across all constituencies, two or three in every constituency,” Shivakumar said.

Stating that they would not identify with anyone and are watching everyone, he said they already have mapped every constituency, and are calculating the fate of the sitting, the defeated, and those aspiring to be MLAs.

“Every seat is important for us, some might be thinking no one can do anything to them in their constituency, including sitting MLAs. I’m telling them that it’s an illusion,” he said pointing out that in Kerala almost 13 sitting MLAs were removed from the list and youngsters given a chance.

Noting that for the Bharat Jodo Yatra, every MLA is tasked with mobilising 5,000 people, Shivakumar took a dig at some party colleagues for their lack of keenness, and specifically named senior MLA and former KPCC chief R V Deshpande.

“Deshpande said he can’t (get people), because his constituency is too far. I said nothing doing…Can’t we just do this for one day for the sake of Rahul Gandhi?” he asked.

The KPCC chief said leaders and party workers who cannot work on the ground would be rested.

He listed out the work done and events organised by KPCC aimed at strengthening the party under his presidency.