NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge announced on Tuesday, April 4,  that the party will hold an extensive discussion on candidates for the remaining 100 seats in the State before the 2019 Assembly elections in Karnataka.

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah and state party president DK Shivakumar were on the Congress' initial list of 124 candidates for the elections, which was released on March 25. "Our selection committee will discuss the remaining 100 seats during a meeting. After hearing from each member of the committee, a decision will be made "Kharge said.

Arriving at the All India Congress Committee office for a meeting of the party's Central Election Committee were Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar, Senior Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, Congress Bangalore Rural MP DK Suresh, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal and veteran leader Mohsina Kidwai.

Karnataka will hold its elections on May 10 in a single phase, and the results will be tallied on May 13.
Siddaramaiah will run from the Kanakapura district, while DK Shivakumar will run from the Varuna district. Siddaramaiah had expressed interest in running for office from the Kolar district, but the Congress High Command told him to abandon the idea after disputes between the party's local leaders in the district. M Roopakala, a candidate for the party in the Kolar Gold Field district, is running.

In order to secure election tickets for their leaders, a sizable contingent of Congress supporters protested in front of the party headquarters in Bengaluru on Monday. In the presence of Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, NY Gopalakrishna, a former legislator from the Kudligi BJP, joined the Congress yesterday.

With 224 Assembly seats, Karnataka now has 119 members of the governing BJP, 75 members of the opposition Congress, and 28 members of the JD(S).

Political groups in the State, including the incumbent BJP, the opposition Congress, and the ally JD(S), are exchanging accusations and denials, with the latter trying to put the government in the corner over the corruption issue. After the State's elections were declared, the model code of conduct went into force.

"We will give him a place in our house," Congress chief Mallikarjun Khadge said.

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