Bangalore: Azad begins search for candidates
The Hindu
BANGALORE, Mar 1: The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said the Congress in the State would win more Lok Sabha seats in the general elections than what it got in 2004.
Azad, also the AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka and Member of the Election Screening Committee, is on a two-day visit to the city for finalising the list of a panel of names of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections.
He admitted that there were minor problems in the State unit. If solved, it would easily lead to winning more seats and hoped that he would succeed in the task.
The senior leader was closeted at a resort with KPCC president R.V. Deshpande, Working President D.K. Shivakumar, the former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramiah, the former Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly M. Mallikarjun Kharge and former Deputy Chief Minister M.P. Prakash for selecting candidates for the elections.
Recalling his association with Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, he hoped that he would repeat his performance of 1999 when the party won the Assembly elections leading to the installation of S.M. Krishna as Chief Minister.
Azad was given a rousing welcome both at the airport and at the KPCC office.
A large number of legislators, MPs, former ministers, and aspiring candidates, office-bearers of the KPCC and those from districts in old Mysore region attended the meetings.