Rahul ends high command culture, state panel meets to discuss names
LS POLLS No bar on sitting MLAs to contest parliamentary polls, but they will be fielded as an exception
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The situation is in favour of Congress with three SADs and two AAPs in fray.
CAPT AMARINDER SINGH, CM
CHANDIGARH: Doing away with the high command culture in ticket allotment, the state election committee of the Congress on Sunday met to get feedback on candidates for the 13 Lok Sabha seats from Punjab and send them to party president Rahul Gandhi for final selection. A total of 180 applications have been received for 13 seats, which will be shortlisted later. The next meeting is on February 20.
At the panel's first meeting at the Punjab Bhawan here on Sunday, Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, who heads the panel, said: “This is a significant departure from the past practice and marks a new openness and stronger democratic system in the party under the leadership of Rahul, who suggested that the state unit should send the names of proposed candidates instead of merely authorising the high command to take a decision.”
It was decided at the meeting that there will be no bar on sitting MLAs to contest Lok Sabha polls but they will be fielded only in exceptional cases.
The list of applicants for seats was circulated to all members of the state election panel to tick their choices and add their own suggestions on possible candidates. They could choose one or more with preferential numbering. The shortlisted names will go to the state’s screening committee comprising Jakhar, chief minister Amarinder Singh, AICC secretary in-charge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari and AICC secretary (organisation) KC Venugopal, who will be present in the screening panels of all states. The screening committee will send the final list to the central election committee.
Amarinder asked all members to rise above personal relations and concerns to select only winnable candidates. The CM once again made it clear that he was not in favour of any alliance.
“The polls are patently pitched in favour of the party. With three Akali Dals and two AAPs in the fray, the situation was clearly balanced in favour of the Congress,” said Captain Amarinder, calling for social engineering to ensure adequate representation to all castes and religions.
Asha Kumari said Rahul wanted the shortlisted candidates’ names to be shared with him, as per the procedure adopted by the party in Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh and winnability will be the main criteria for selection, she said.
Other members of the state election committee at the meeting included Rajya Sabha MP Pratap Singh Bajwa, ministers Rana Gurmeet Sodhi, Gurpreet Singh Kangar and Bharat Bhushan Ashu and MLAs Kuldip Vaid, Kushaldeep Dhillon, Kuljit Nagra and AICC secretary Gurkirat Singh. The heads of all frontal organisations of the PPCC were also present.