Cong puts candidate selection on fast track, first list by month-end

Monday, 26/12/2011

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20111226/punjab.htm#3

Party’s scrutiny committee to meet on December 28

The Punjab Congress has decided to hasten the process of candidate selection after being caught napping by the Election Commission's decision to hold the assembly elections on January 30. The party's scrutiny committee would now meet on December 28 to forward the final list of candidates to the party's central election committee, which is expected to clear it with modifications, if needed, by December 31.

The Congress has been trying to fast-forward the entire selection process, which it had barely initiated two-three days back as there was a general feeling that the elections would be held in mid-February. Now with the nominations starting on January 5, there is little time for detailed deliberations.

Accordingly, the party has cancelled the programme whereby the state election committee members and MPs were to be given an opportunity to have detailed discussions with the scrutiny committee members. The scrutiny committee consists of senior central leaders CP Joshi and JP Agarwal, besides party's Punjab affairs incharge Gulchain Singh Charak, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Capt Amarinder Singh and CLP Leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal.

Talking to The Tribune, PCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh said the party wanted to save time now and accordingly party MPs and election committee members had been told to submit their recommendations in a sealed envelope in the office of Charak by the afternoon of December 27. He said these envelopes would be forwarded to the scrutiny committee.

Amarinder said the scrutiny committee, headed by Joshi, would meet on December 28, following which selected names would be forwarded to the central election committee headed by party president Sonia Gandhi for final approval. He said the complete list barring a few constituencies was likely to be announced by December 31.

The state election committee, which had called for "threadbare discussion" on all seats in a meeting three days back, has now passed a one-line resolution authorising party president Sonia Gandhi to nominate the party candidates. Earlier, the committee had finalised the criteria for ticket selection. It was decided that besides winnability, candidates with Congress background and commitment to the party should be considered.

Meanwhile, in view of the fact that the entire top leadership was camping in Delhi, the party has rescheduled all political meetings and rallies announced earlier. The rallies that have been rescheduled include those, which were to be held in Faridkot, Jalandhar Cantonment, Sahnewal, Jalandhar and Amritsar. However, the schedule for political conferences at Jor Mela, Fatehgarh Sahib on December 27 and the Maghi Mela at Muktsar Sahib on January 14 would remain unchanged.