From Our Special Correspondent

Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Mar 9: The Congress party’s screening committee to select candidates for the ensuing assembly elections in the State has been completed in respect of 170 seats during the last three days and another 50 seats are pending consideration, which will also be finalised soon, KPCC president D K Shivakumar announced in Bengaluru on Thursday.

Speaking to media persons near his residence, he said the list of candidates for constituencies for which discussions have been completed have been sent to the party’s central leaders in Delhi.

"We want to select unanimous candidates for all constituencies as winning and coming to power is the first priority before the party,’’ he declared.

Shivakumar made it clear that the party is trying to bring about consensus in constituencies wherein more than one candidate is there. "We are meeting leaders of each district to sort out differences,’’ he said pointing out that discussions with regard to candidates in Chikkamagaluru district have already been completed.

The KPCC chief asserted that, ‘’All of us are firm on bringing the Congress back to power. Our top priority is to defeat the BJP and bring the Congress to power. Party is more important than individuals. We will work unitedly.’’

Responding to the statement of BJP leaders that those wishing to join Congress were welcome to do so, Shivakumar said: "Let them send all those whom they want to go out of the party. Nobody can prevent anybody from jumping parties, going to one party or leaving another party. We will not discuss such things now.’’

Shivakumar said the Narendra Modi regime is targeting opposition leaders and harassing the BJP's opponents. "There should be consistency. All those involved in irregularities and corruption must be investigated. It is not correct to target only non-BJP leaders and ignore those caught red-handed in BJP or their allies,’’ he said.

BJP leader and MLC Puttanna quit the party and resigned its primary membership and joined the Congress party in the presence of AICC general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala, Shivakumar, Leader of Opposition in Assembly Siddaramaiah and other leaders at the party office.