Congress releases applications for GBMC poll aspirants

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, D.K. Shivakumar, announced the release of applications for Congress ticket aspirants in the upcoming Greater Bengaluru Municipal Corporation (GBMC) elections. Speaking at the Congress Foundation Day event held at the Bharat Jodo Bhavan in Bengaluru, Shivakumar emphasized that aspirants must be proactive and not wait for predetermined seat reservations to secure a ticket.“Once the reservations are decided, you cannot expect to win just by being a prominent leader. The Congress party will recognize those who actively work towards the party’s success, not just those who claim to be ready when the time comes,” Shivakumar said, adding that applications for party tickets will be accepted from now onwards.

The KPCC president also mentioned that the application fee for general candidates has been fixed at Rs 50,000, while candidates from the reserved categories will have to pay Rs 25,000. The collected funds will go towards the construction of party offices, with Rs 20 crore allocated for district office buildings and Rs 60 crore for state office development. When asked about providing discounts for women and OBC candidates, Shivakumar clarified that there would be no such concessions. He pointed out that during the recent MLA elections, a Rs 2 lakh fee was imposed for contesting, and the funds were used for party advertisements. However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suggested offering Rs 25,000 as the application fee for women candidates. Shivakumar agreed, stating, “Since the CM and George have suggested this, women candidates will now have an application fee of Rs 25,000.”

Shivakumar also announced the formation of a committee to decide how student elections should be conducted. The committee will include prominent leaders such as Sharan Prakash Patil, Dr. Sudhakar, Salim Ahmad, and former NSUI president, among others.

This move is seen as an effort to bring fresh leadership into the party by conducting student elections in the near future.