Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday gave a clarion call to all the party candidates, who lost the 2023 election, to gear up for the 2028 election.

According to Shivakumar, an internal survey has suggested that 60 of the defeated Congress candidates are likely to win the next election.

"As many as 60 candidates who lost the previous assembly election are said to win in the coming election according to an internal survey. In this backdrop, we have asked our unsuccessful candidates to prepare for 2028," he said addressing a press conference after a meeting with the defeated candidates.

Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, said the party invited 86 candidates who lost the 2023 election.

"We heard their concerns and deliberated on the preparations for the local body elections and the 2028 elections. We have given clear instructions to the defeated candidates to be proactive," the Deputy CM said.

He said the party is also preparing an action plan in consultation with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on building the party in the remaining 20 constituencies, where party lost.

"We will call for another meeting of winning and losing candidates of the Lok Sabha elections. The unsuccessful candidates of the 2023 elections have worked for party building, Lok Sabha elections and cooperative society elections. We have instructed the party to empower them and support them. The CM and I will fix a meeting with the defeated candidates during the next session," Shivakumar added.

He said he would hold another meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah along with the district in charge ministers with the party workers from March 23 to April 1.

He said the state unit is planning to invite Congress Chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in the first or second week of March to lay the foundation stone for the party offices.

The physical event will be held in Bengaluru and in the party offices located in other parts of Karnataka it will be done virtually, he explained.

When asked if the party would go to 2028 elections under his leadership, Shivakumar said, "It is my duty to take the party forward irrespective of my position at that time. It is the leadership which is needed to take the party forward and not any position. I have become a leader due to the positions accorded by the party and it is imperative that we pay back to the party this way."