New Delhi: Except in Goa, the Congress party has not announced any list of candidates in the states going for polls. The Congress Central Election Committee is scheduled to meet on Monday to finalize tickets for phase 1 elections in UP and the first list for Punjab, Manipur and Uttarakhand.
The Congress meeting will be held virtually in wake of Covid situation. The party’s screening committees for states have filtered the names of the probable candidates which have been sent to the central panel.
The Congress in Uttarakhand has more or less decided to give one ticket per family which has been an issue of conflict as some leaders want ticket for their kin, but sources say that this criteria may be waived for winnable candidates.
In UP, the party has decided to give 40 per cent ticket to women and the party is likely to release the first list with the same quota to keep the momentum going.
In Punjab, the Congress will have a risk in ticket distribution with state president Navjot Singh Sidhu asserting for more tickets to his supporters, so the party has to balance itself in ticket distribution.
In Goa, the party has already released two lists but many leaders are upset that their name has been ignored by the party.
The Congress has decided not to project Chief Ministerial face to overcome internal rift. Congress sources say that it will only be decided after the results and Congress legislature party will decide the new leader with the consent of the high command as except at few occasions, the party has not projected a chief minister’s face.
The Congress leaders in Punjab and Uttarakhand want to project the face of Chief Minister as supporters of Harish Rawat, former Uttarakhand CM and Navjot Singh Sidhu, the Punjab unit chief want to be projected as Chief Minister’s face. But Congress will not take risk to alienate the other factions ahead of polls.
(IANS)
