Sheila, state unit head differ over candidates, delay Congress list

The screening committee of the Congress is holding hectic parleys with party members to finalise its list. The party is likely to make a formal announcement in a day or two.

The screening committee of the Congress is holding hectic parleys with party members to finalise its list. The party is likely to make a formal announcement in a day or two.

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Jai Prakash Aggarwal, president of Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, said, “We are on the job. We will announce our list shortly.”

Sources in the committee said the delay was caused by the differences between Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and panel president Aggarwal over half-a-dozen seats. Both are members of the screening committee.

“While the chief minister is supporting sitting MLA Ramakant Goswami for Rajinder Nagar, Aggarwal prefers someone else from the seat. From the Wazirpur, she wants Chattar Singh to contest, but Aggarwal is supporting Raj Kumar Kohli,” said a party source.

The other seats that created friction between these two leaders include Shalimar Bagh, Trilokpuri, Babbarpur, Ghonda, Shakurbasti and Najafgarh.

Party sources also attributed this difference behind the November 25 leak. “Some who were against inclusion of certain candidates deliberately did it to create pressure,” said a source.

HT was the first to report that it was not the final first list and that the Congress’s central election committee would put a stamp of approval on the final list before a formal announcement is made.

Speaking to HT, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said, “No list has been finalized yet. Only the central election committee has the power to finalise the list.”

Sources said as many as four names from the list of 53 can be dropped. “These include Harnam Singh, Shambhu Dayal Sharma and Mahender Yadav from Palam,” said a party insider.