Bengaluru: The Congress has commenced screening of applications on Thursday seeking tickets to contest in the forthcoming Assembly elections. As of now, over 1,200 candidates have submitted applications seeking ticke tto contest in the elections.

AICC general secretary Madhusudan Mistry, who is heading the screening committee, said ticket would be issued to candidates based on their “winnability factor”.

The party has instructed all candidates to submit applications with demand draft (DD) and the value will vary for Ministers and ordinary candidates. While Ministers have to submit applications with a DD of Rs. 1 lakh, MLAs/MLCs/chairpersons have to pay Rs. 50,000; former legislators Rs. 25,000; ordinary general candidates Rs. 20,000; and SC/ST candidates Rs. 10,000.

Only one application has been issued to one candidate and the candidate has to specify his constituency and the criteria to get ticket. Apart from Mistry, Tamradhwaj Sahu and Gaurav Gogoi, party MPs, who are members of the committee, are closely screening applications.

After screening, applications will be sent to the central selection committee, which will finalise the candidates, Mistry said. In the 2013 elections, about 2,000 applications were issued and among them, 1,800 were submitted to the party, the sources said.

There is no limit to issue applications. The party could issue applications to as many 10,000 candidates under the general category and 5,000 each for SC/STs, and women quota.