Cong sends names for 90 seats to central poll panel
NEXT STEP Party chief asks ‘to finalise list with consensus’ JAIPUR
: After two days of marathon meetings, the Congress’s screening committee submitted a list of candidates for 90 assembly seats to the party's central election committee (CEC) at the start of the latter’s first meeting Wednesday. The CEC is headed by All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi.
Members of the screening committee, state general secretary incharge and co-incharges, and Rajasthan leaders such as Sachin Pilot and Rameshwar Dudi attended the CEC meeting in New Delhi.
The screening committee has zeroed in on one name each for 90 seats, with nearly all sitting MLAs included in the list. A senior AICC leader aware of the development said on condition of anonymity, “The screening committee gave a general view of each assembly constituency to the CEC, which included political developments concerning the party and (views) on the Bharatiya Janata Party.”
The leader said that the committee had held discussions on all 200 assembly seats, and the members’ inputs have been submitted to the CEC.
Another Delhi-based senior leader said the party has “no dearth of candidates” but there is “slight difference of perception over names among senior leaders of state”. Such seats have been kept on hold for further discussions, he said, adding that the party will likely announce its first list of candidates “around Diwali”.
The second leader said Rahul Gandhi “listened to all the inputs, gave necessary directions, and asked to finalise the list with consensus”.
Regarding the parameters of denying tickets to candidates who have lost twice in a row and not allowing change of seat, he said Gandhi has already shared his views on these issues with the committee. “Today, such issues were not discussed,” he said.
The CEC meeting, which began at 11am, lasted around two-and-a-half hours. It was followed by a meeting of the screening committee members with Congress’s Rajasthan leaders at committee chairperson Selja Kumari’s residence to discuss on the directions given by Gandhi.
The last date of filing nomination for the assembly election is November 19 and the submissions could be withdrawn by November 22. Rajasthan will vote on December 7, along with Telangana, while results of elections in all five states, including Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram, will be declared on December 11.
The meeting of Congress central election committee was held at UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s residence at 10, Janpath in Delhi.
RAHUL LIKELY TO VISIT STATE AFTER DIWALI
AICC chief Rahul Gandhi is likely to visit Jodhpur division after Diwali, which is on November 7. The date and venue of his visit is still being finalised, a party leader said.