Karnataka Assembly Polls: Congress to release first list of candidates this week

Senior Congress leader and former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah

The first list of candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls is expected to be announced on 17th March, according to senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah.

The selection of candidates will be based on their perceived ability to win the election, and the ticket distribution process is expected to be completed by May, as per the senior leader.

Siddaramaiah also stated that the central election committee of the party is scheduled to meet on 17th March, which is likely to be when the first list of candidates will be finalised.

The Congress aims to secure a clear majority in the 224-member Assembly by winning at least 150 seats, and the opinions of the screening committee will be sent to the central election committee of the AICC for final review.

While the JD(S) has already released its first list of 93 candidates for the Assembly polls, the BJP and Congress have yet to announce their lists.

Currently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has not announced the precise date for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Elections. However, the present tenure of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly will end on May 24, 2023.

There are 5.21 crore registered voters, including 2.59 crore women, in Karnataka. As per the Election Commission, the voter list includes 16,976 centenarians, 4,699 transgender voters, and 9.17 lakh first-time voters.