Mangaluru : B.K. Hariprasad, general secretary, All India Congress Committee (AICC), on Thursday claimed that the party will win at least 20 seats in the forthcoming elections to the Legislative Council from the local bodies constituencies.

Mr. Hariprasad told presspersons here that party cadres have been enthusiastic across the State and that indicated the party’s victory. Despite the presence of rebel candidates in the Dakshina Kannada-Udupi constituency, the party’s official candidate K. Pratapchandra Shetty will emerge victorious, he said, responding to a question.

He said that Mr. Shetty had to bow to the workers’ demand to contest again, though initially he had expressed his unwillingness to be re-nominated as party candidate. Mr. Hariprasad said that the cadre are solidly behind Mr. Shetty in the constituency. If other aspirants were interested in contesting on behalf of the party, the leadership should have been informed earlier, he said.

However, according to K. Jayaprakash Hegde and K. Harikrishna Bantwal, the two rebel candidates, they filed applications only after Mr. Shetty expressed his desire not to contest.

There was no inkling of Mr. Shetty being considered again, they had said.

Mr. Hariprasad said that the rebel leaders should have had patience. Pointing to MLC Ivan D’ Souza who was sitting next to him, Mr. Hariprasad said though Mr. D’Souza was denied ticket to contest the Legislative Assembly polls, he was accommodated in the Legislative Council.