Cong to announce all candidates for Karna polls in single phase

The Karnataka Congress today said all candidates for the 224-member state assembly polls will be announced in a single phase by April 15.

The highly anticipated state polls are scheduled for May 12.

"We will announce candidates for all 224 assembly constituencies in a single phase. As the date of election has already been announced, we need to do it as soon as possible," Pradesh Congress president G Parameshwara told reporters here.

Stating that the party's central election committee will meet after the screening committee meeting onApril 9 and April 10, he noted that the list of party candidates for the state polls will be out by April 15.

The Election Commission had yesterday announced that a single phase election would be conducted in the southern state on May 12 and the counting of votes will be taken up on May 15.

As part of the poll preparations, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara are holding back to back meetings with ministers in-charge of various districts and the election manifesto committee.

Explaining the process of selection of candidates, the KPCC president said the Pradesh Election Committee has already held its meeting and taken certain decisions, which has been conveyed to the leadership in Delhi.

"As part of the same process, the chief minister and myself are holding discussions with district in-charge ministers today, to gather their opinion that will help in the selection of candidates," he said.

"In continuation of this process, there will be a screening committee meeting in Delhion April 9 and 10 where we will put forward all the information we have gathered, following which thedecisions will be taken," Parameshwara added.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi had earlier this month constituted the screening committee for the upcoming Karnatakaassembly polls. The committee is headed by senior party leaderMadhusudan Mistry, which will also comprise party MPs Tamradhwaj Sahu and Gaurav Gogoi.

AICC General Secretary In-charge of the state K C Venugopal, G Parameshwara and Siddaramaiah are ex-officio members of the committee.

Parameshwara also said that the party was in theprocess of finalising the list of 40 star campaigners forthe polls.