Maharashtra polls: Congress screening committee to discuss Mumbai candidates today

After finalising its seat-sharing with Nationalist Congress Party by conceding to give the latter seven seats, the Congress has decided to fight the remaining 29 seats in Mumbai.

The Congress screening committee, headed by the party’s general secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia, discussed the party prospects in Mumbai and is expected to finalise the candidates from the city on Wednesday. The party has already finalised its first list of more than 50 candidates from other parts of the states in two earlier meetings.

The screening committee will finalise the names of the candidates on Wednesday,” said Eknath Gaikwad, acting Mumbai Congress president. (HT image)

After finalising its seat-sharing with Nationalist Congress Party by conceding to give the latter seven seats, the Congress has decided to fight the remaining 29 seats in Mumbai. The city unit of the party has submitted the shortlisted names to the screening committee with the number of aspirants ranging from one to three.

“The committee heard all senior leaders including Sanjay Niruipam, Arif Naseem Khan, Kripashankar Singh about the party prospects in the financial capital of the country. The leaders expressed their views about the need to fight the elections unitedly. We are meeting again on Wednesday to discuss the constituency-wise candidates. The screening committee will finalise the names of the candidates on Wednesday,” said Eknath Gaikwad, acting Mumbai Congress president.

Congress had won five of the 36 seats in Mumbai in 2014. Its Wadala MLA Kalidas Kolambkar recently joined the BJP, while Malad MLA Aslam Shaikh is reportedly on the verge of quitting the party. Besides the sitting MLAs, the Congress is considering fielding a few Mumbai corporators in the fray.

It has already finalised more than 50 names from across the state for Assembly polls. “Besides our sitting MLAs, there are about 15-20 constituencies with no dispute over the names. The list of the candidates in such constituencies has been finalised though it will be announced only after the elections are announced,” said a senior party leader.