Bengaluru: Keen to emerge as king instead of kingmaker in the next Legislative Assembly elections, JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda on Friday announced that the party will contest from all the 224 constituencies and popularity of the aspirants will be the only criterion for giving party tickets.

Addressing a convention of party workers and leaders as part of the preparations for 2018 Assembly polls at Palace Grounds, Gowda exhorted them to bury differences and strive to bring the party to power.

Reiterating his assurance on finalising the list of party candidates well ahead of the polls, Gowda said they will be selected on the basis of the report to be submitted by district presidents. The party’s core committee will finalise on a candidate if there are more than one suitable candidate in any constituency.

Citing the recent victory of JD(S) candidate Ramesh Babu in the Legislative Council bypoll from South-East Teachers’ constituency, Gowda said people of the state were disillusioned with national parties (BJP and Congress) and JD(S) has a good chance to defeat the two in the polls.

He accused the BJP government at the Centre and Congress government in the state of failing to come to the rescue of farmers who are in distress due to successive droughts.