State Congress poll panel formed

JAIPUR: All the members of the steering committee of state Congress have been nominated in the key election committee, responsible for finalising candidates for the Assembly election. The list was approved by Congress president Sonia Gandhi after a meeting with state president CP Joshi in Delhi on Tuesday.

Party general secretary Mumtaz Masih said the committee would be headed by Joshi. The presidents of all the four frontal organisations will also be the members of the committee. It will have leader of opposition Hema Ram Choudhry, former chief ministers Jaganath Pahadia and Ashok Gehlot, Paras Ram Maderna, Sis Ram Ola, Girija Vyas, Namo Narayan Meena, Santosh Ba-grodia, Kamla, Banwari Lal Berwa, Narayan Singh, Ram Narayan Choudhry, BD Kalla, AA Ahmed Loharu, Prabha Thakur, Shanti Dhariwal, Tayyab Hussain, Sachin Pilot, national secretaries Sanjay Bapna, Harendra Mirdha and Jitendra Singh and Karan Singh Yadav as its members.

It has been observed for the past more than two decades that the election committee, barring finalising the panel, does not have much role to play except passing a one-line resolution entrusting the party president the responsibility of finalising the candidates. The names are after all finalised by the high command at Delhi. The ticket-seekers also lobby at that level as the state committee has a very little or no say in it.

It is learnt that national general secretary Rahul Gandhi, like his late father Rajiv Gandhi, is keen to infuse young blood for the November elections and Joshi has already been briefed about sending a panel of young candidates. It is likely that a few old faces would pave the way for youngsters. In some cases, the kin of the sitting MLAs may be preferred. According to a party source, as many as 110 out of the 200 candidates would be new faces if Gandhi has his way.

If the Antony formula is followed, a number of sitting MLAs may not get the tickets.

The A K Antony committee's report has suggested that all those who lost in the last Assembly election by 15,000 votes, those who lost for two consecutive times, those who lost the parliamentary election and also lost from their own constituency, rebels and those who are above 65 years of age should not be given tickets. At least 35 leaders, including several sitting MLAs and former ministers, would not be eligible for party's nominations if the recommendation is adopted in toto.

Source : Times Of India