Raipur, January 15
Amid notions that Congress is preparing for “the lost battle” and different surveys writing it off and predicting straight contest between BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in ensuing general elections, the party’s Chhattisgarh unit has hinted of adopting only one criterion for ticket distribution, i.e. capacity to win after receiving fresh instructions regarding it from high command.
Though, under new formula, the party would not hesitate in fielding even those who conceded defeat in recent assembly polls, sources say central leadership is more likely to prefer young and fair-imaged faces to older ones to post victory in at least three quarters of total 11 Lok Sabha seats in State. By far, the party was distributing tickets on the basis of caste-equilibrium, popularity of the candidates, dominance of factions, recommendations of senior leaders and survey reports.
According to information, chairman of State Congress screening committee Oscar Fernandes has directed PCC president Bhupesh Baghel and CLP leader TS Singhdeo to prepare a list of potential candidates by taking inputs from State and district office-bearers. The two have been strictly cautioned not to accept applications from ticket aspirants pertaining to their candidature.
There are more than 100 ticket aspirants in State unit for 11 LS seats and each of them has expressed his/her desire to contest elections before state or central leadership. Now, with party setting new criterion for tickets, a senior PCC office-bearer admits that names of many of these ticket aspirants would be removed from the list of probable.
Anticipating that Election Commission might hold polls in Chhattisgarh in first phase as it did in 2009, the party is likely to announce candidates of Chhattisgarh by second week of February. In this connection, Fernandes has asked Baghel and Singhdeo to send names of candidates by January 31.
Sources say by finalising candidates one and a half months before polls, the party not only wants to give them ample time for preparation, but also aims to minimize sabotage by appeasing dissidents.
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