Cong in K'TAKA decides to prepare for assembly bypolls

The Congress in Karnataka Thursdaydecided to prepare the party for by-elections to 17 constituencies, necessitated by the disqualification of rebel legislators, by sending in teams headed by party leaders as in-charge for each constituency.

The party at a meeting of its top leaders here also decidedto face the legal battle against disqualified MLAs in theSupreme Court, but remained non-committal on the continuity of its alliance with JD(S), putting the onus on the Congress high command.

"There will be by-elections for 17 constituencies, asMLAs from there have been disqualified, so we have discussedour strategy, how to face it- we have gathered opinionof our leaders," Pradesh Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao told reporters after the meeting.

Stating that for each constituency, a team headed by a seniorleader will be constituted and made in-charge, he said, they will immediately visit their respective constituencies.

The team will hold discussions with party workers there, analyse the strength of the organisation there and will work towards preparing the party for elections.

"We have got good response from party workers and people from these 17 constituencies.

They have welcomed our decision to disqualify and expel those who have betrayed theparty and have urged us to consider those loyal to the party while givingtickets," he said.

The party will announce in-charge teams to each constituency by Friday.

Seventeen rebel MLAs- 14 from Congress and three from the JD(S) were disqualified Sunday by the then assembly Speaker RameshKumar under the anti-defection law based on a complaint by their respective parties citing anti-party activities.

They had also abstained from the trust vote on July 23, when the H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government collapsed.

The meeting was attended by CLP leader Siddaramaiah, senior leaders Veerappa Moily, KH Muniyappa, D K Shivakumar, H K Patil, among others, during which they discussed the ongoing developments in the state and a way ahead.

Not willing to give any direct response to a questionabout the continuity of alliance with JD(S) during the bypolls, Rao said, "We have decided to make preparations inall 17 constituencies.

The decision on the alliance has to be decided by theparty high-command, we will discuss with them and take a final decision, he said.

"Defeating communal anddictatorial BJP is our goal," he added.

However, both parties have unofficially expressed their intention not face the elections in alliance any more.

Noting that there can be only coordination or understanding with JD(S), a top congress functionary has said party workers were "happy that in a way we are out of alliance now."