According to a media report, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has told his colleagues, citing the announcement made by the party in Udaipur, that he intends to reserve 50 percent of the tickets for the youth in the Karnataka assembly elections next year.
Bengaluru: New Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has reportedly told his colleagues that he intends to reserve 50 per cent of the tickets for the youth in next year’s Karnataka Assembly elections.
According to the Times of India news, Kharge referred to the announcement made by the party in Udaipur in May this year. He is said to have made this remark on Sunday at an event organized by the party’s Karnataka unit to honor him.
Karnataka Party Congress Committee (KPCC) working president Salim Ahmed said, “Karnataka Congress will make sincere efforts to identify youth and women to contest the assembly elections. A shortlist will be prepared and the State Election Committee will finalize the names in each region. It will be probed by the party’s central election committee.
Office bearers say the party has conducted three surveys to assess the winning chances of applicants wishing to contest the 2023 elections. The party will shortlist one to three candidates for each of the 224 assembly seats.
“Out of the three, we intend to shortlist a person who is below 50 years of age and if possible, a woman,” said an office-bearer.
But there is a deep doubt that 80-year-old Kharge himself will be able to implement this declaration on the ground. “68 sitting MLAs cannot be denied tickets and there are 60 such senior leaders who were either defeated or are waiting for an opportunity,” an official said. So, where is the place for the youth?’
Five-time MLA and one-time MP Basavaraj Rayreddy, 66, lost the 2018 assembly elections. When asked whether this announcement could be implemented in the next election, he admitted that the idea could be difficult to implement.
“There is no doubt that the party needs youthful zeal but the bigger challenge is to find winning candidates,” he said. Ultimately victory is the only criterion.
MLAs close to Kharge say that the Congress may experiment with youth in areas considered strongholds of the BJP and the JD(S).
“There are many areas like Shikaripura, which is dominated by Yeddyurappa, and Hangal area, which is Chief Minister Bommai’s home constituency,” said an MLA. We can go ahead there to challenge the youth.