Congress likely to declare list of candidates after Oct 12

 

 

 

 

 

Congress party is likely to declare its candidates for the Chhattisgarh Assembly polls after October 12. The meeting of Central Election Committee (CEC) of All India Congress Committee (AICC) is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on October 12. The CEC will finalise the names of the Congress candidates on the recommendation of the Screening Committee. The meeting of State Election Committee of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC) was held at state Congress party office Rajiv Bhawan in the state capital on Tuesday to finalise the names of the party candidates for the Assembly polls, which will be held in two phases on November 7 and 17. Chhattisgarh Congress In-charge Kumari Selja, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, State Congress President Deepak Baij, Deputy Chief Minister T S Singhdeo, Speaker of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Dr Charan Das Mahant, AICC Secretaries Dr Chandan Yadav, Rajesh Tiwari, AICC Joint Secretary Vijay Jangid and other leaders attended the meeting. Talking to mediapersons at Rajiv Bhawan in the state capital after the meeting, Chhattisgarh Congress In-charge Kumari Selja said that there is complete consensus on all 90 assembly seats of the state and decisions are being taken together. Tickets are being finalising considering all aspects.

 

The meeting of the CEC will be held in New Delhi on October 12. Kumari Selja, the Chhattisgarh Congress In-charge, said that the assembly tickets would be finalised by the CEC, and the final list of party candidates would be released accordingly. She emphasized the party’s commitment to follow the due process. When asked about whether the Congress party would release its candidate list in a single announcement, Selja responded, “Whatever BJP does, it does. We do as per our wish that is our effort.” Addressing the eagerness of the BJP to see the Congress candidate list, the Chhattisgarh Congress In-charge mentioned that BJP leaders were displaying signs of worry rather than impatience. Regarding speculations about the dropping of several MLAs’ tickets, Selja remarked, “It is natural that some changes happen. There is always some change in every election. There are different reasons for which this happens.” A crucial meeting of the Congress Screening Committee took place at Rajiv Bhawan in Raipur, with Screening Committee Chairman Ajay Maken and two members virtually joining.

 

The meeting involved detailed discussions, emphasizing the party’s commitment to thorough deliberations in candidate selection. State Congress President Deepak Baij reassured the public that the party was not late in declaring the assembly candidates. He stated, “We will release the correct list at the right time.” Baij also criticized the BJP’s candidate list, claiming that the public had rejected the BJP in the 2018 assembly polls. In response to questions about disappointment within the Congress party, Baij acknowledged that such issues could arise in a large party but emphasized the absence of significant opposition within the party. Regarding former Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh’s statement, Baij downplayed the value of the BJP and highlighted factionalism within the party. He asserted, “The BJP has no face.”