Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar today defended Congress giving tickets to children of five Ministers in the state in its second list of candidates for the coming Lok Sabha polls, indicating that winnability was a key factor in their selection.

On criticism of nepotism against the party, the state Congress chief claimed that the political system in the entire country has changed now and, in all political parties, family members or children of Ministers or leaders are being fielded to contest elections.

"We are looking at new faces, we are looking at youngsters, we are looking at those who have a solid background, we want to win elections," Mr Shivakumar told reporters.

"All local leaders are supporting them (Ministers' children who are candidates), they have been working for the party, they are the office-bearers of the party, and they have been selected," he added.

Children of five Ministers figure in the list of 17 nominees announced by the Congress on Thursday.

Satish Jarkiholi's daughter Priyanka Jarkiholi (Chikkodi), Ramalinga Reddy's daughter Sowmya Reddy (Bangalore South), Shivanand Patil's daughter Samyukta S Patil (Bagalkot), Laxmi Hebbalkar's son Mrinal Ravindra Hebbalkar (Belgaum) and Eshwar Khandre's son Sagar Khandre (Bidar) will be contesting in the polls.