Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar on Friday said that more names of Congress candidates will be finalised for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections after the party convenes a Screening Committee meeting on March 11.

The Congress has announced a list of seven candidates from Karnataka in the first list for the Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking to reporters at his Sadashivanagar residence, Shivakumar said, “More names were to be announced by the party in today’s list. But those names will be finalised during the next Screening Committee meeting on March 11.”

“The candidates have been selected based on the feedback from local leaders and our survey inputs. More names will be finalised after the Screening Committee meeting.”

Asked about the number of candidates announced, the Deputy Chief Minister added, “It isn’t important how many names I had taken to Delhi. The Congress High Command decides it. We only propose the names. The Congress Election Committee gathers its own intelligence. Decisions are taken based on all these aspects.”

The names of H.R. Algur (Raju) from Bijapur MP seat, Anandaswamy Gaddadevara Math (Haveri), Geetha Shivarajkumar (Shivamogga), M. Shreyas Patel (Hassan), S.P. Muddahanume Gowda (Tumakuru), Venkatarame Gowda aka Star Chandru (Mandya) and D.K. Suresh from Bengaluru Rural MP seat have been announced from Karnataka for the Lok Sabha elections.

With the fielding of Geetha Shivarajkumar the competition is expected to be intense in Shivamogga MP seat. Presently it is represented by B.Y. Raghavendra, son of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.

Geetha is the daughter of former Chief Minister S. Bangarappa and wife of Kannada superstar Shivarajkumar. Her brother Madhu Bangarappa is the Education Minister in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s Cabinet.

Maddahanume Gowda (Tumakuru) has returned to Congress recently after quitting BJP.

The BJP is looking for a strong candidate for the Tumakuru constituency as the sitting BJP MP G.S. Basavaraj had announced his retirement.

The Congress has also announced candidates for Mandya and Hassan seats considered as stronghold of JD (S).

Mandya is represented by independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh and Hassan is represented by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s grandson Prajwal Revanna.