These Congressmen will not get tickets for next elections!

Congress is way ahead of other parties in pre-poll preparations in Karnataka. Warnings are being sent; all the Ministers have been kept on their toes.

Soon, there will be changes in the Cabinet posts, and Ramanath Rai is likely to fill in the vacant post of the Home Minister. However, this warning from CM Siddaramaiah has made many leaders in the party worried.

There is a strong message sent out that only the ministers, MLAs and MLCs who are loved by people and have a record of improvement (development works) to show will be taken into consideration while allocating tickets for the upcoming Assembly elections.

There is no space and chance for those who do not prove themselves on these two grounds, said the Congress leadership in the state.

This has sent shivers down the spine of many leaders, who have spent time not doing any good to the people. As the list has to be ready by December, the leaders cannot start their work now to impress the high command in the state as well as in Delhi.

Meanwhile, CM Siddaramaiah's statements like "It is a great thing that CM Ibrahim is given a chance to the MLC post, there is no question of him getting the ministerial berth," are a clear indication that selection of candidates will be done much strictly.

Karnataka is the prestige issue for the Congress as this is the only state where the party has a strong command. SIddaramaiah as a leader and the Congress leaders look like they are ready to fight out the BJP united, keeping aside their differences and disappointments.

Thus those who have not visited their Constituencies and have nothing to show on their report card might as well be mentally prepared to not contest the upcoming polls.

However, though nit right, money has always played an important role in Indian politics. But the new party by Upendra -Utthama Praja Party is completely against this agenda, and one has to wait if Upendra and his party can give a tough fight to the Congress apart from BJP and JDS in some constituencies.

• Karnataka Congress
• CM Siddaramaiah
• Assembly elections
• Karnataka
• Tickets