Bengaluru: If the Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of former CM B.S. Yeddyurappa is on its “Mission 150,” the Janata Dal (Secular) under the leadership of former CM H.D. Kumaraswamy is targeting 115 seats in the 2018 Assembly elections, not to be left behind, the Congress too is silently working on gathering 120 seats. With Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi setting a three-point agenda to AICC General Secretary K.C. Venugopal and his team for Karnataka, Venugopal and his team of four Secretaries — Manickam Tagore, Madhu Yaskhi Goud and P.C. Vishnunadh — are working overtime to ensure that the party will get 120 seats.

For that matter, the appointments of Venugopal and team signalled a strong message to the rank and file in the Karnataka to gear up for the State polls, which “would have to be won at any cost.”

In a verbal communication to party leaders in Karnataka, Venugopal has asked them to identify 55 percent of the candidates and start work to ensure their victory. Acting on Venugopal’s directive, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah has reportedly told at least 21 MLAs and three Ministers that it would be tough for them to get Congress tickets for the elections.

The leaders have been asked to identify those candidates first who can win constituencies without a tough fight. They have also been asked to prepare a list of other party candidates who will give fight for Congress party.

Going by Venugopal’s strategy, it may be tough for Congress to select candidates early as the close aides of Chief Minister Siddharamaiah who are also influential Ministers are yet to finalise their constituency. They are Ministers Dr. H.C. Mahadevappa, T.B. Jayachandra, Ramalinga Reddy and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President Dr. G. Parameshwara.

The party has to majorly fight the anti-incumbency factor in Karnataka. Venugopal and his team, however, believe that the Siddharamaiah Government has been doing well in the last four years by launching several welfare schemes. If there was anti-incumbency, the Congress would not have won the by-elections in Nanjangud and Gundlupet, they say. One more worrying factor for the Congress is the exodus of party members including senior leaders to BJP and JD(S). Earlier, the party strategy was to give tickets as per social justice but now, the party seems to be betting on winning horses.

Karnataka is crucial for the grand old party as it has lost grounds in most States and the party is desperate to come back to power in the State. And for this, the State unit has been asked to focus on those constituencies that have been lost by the party in the 2013 Assembly elections.

The buzz is that CM Siddharamaiah hopes to hold elections in December 2017, when Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh will also go to polls. With Bharatiya Janata Party’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Amit Shah likely to be tied down to their native State of Gujarat around that time, retaining control of which is a prestige issue for the saffron party, this will prevent them from canvassing in Karnataka.