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Congress finalises 55 candidates, first list likely on Monday
Central election committee met on Saturday to take a final decision on candidates; second, third lists likely on Nov 14 and 15.
The Congress on Saturday finalised the names of 55 candidates for the December 4 Delhi Assembly elections.
Fearing protests from ticket-seekers who could not make the cut and their supporters over the weekend, the party decided to release the first list on Monday, a senior Delhi Congress leader said, requesting anonymity.
The central election committee — comprising Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, Delhi Congress chief Jai Prakash Agarwal and others — met on Saturday morning and took a final decision on the candidates.
Sources said there was some confusion over suitable candidates for the remaining seats and the committee authorised the chief minister and the Delhi Congress president to take a final decision.
“Though there is consensus on the remaining seats, the committee told the CM and the DPCC chief to sit together once and clear whatever doubts they had on the remaining candidates,” a senior Congress functionary said. All India Congress committee general secretary and in-charge of Delhi elections, Shakeel Ahmed, told reporters that the party would release the first list of candidates on November 11.
The first list is likely to have the names of sitting MLAs whose candidatures were cleared by the party’s screening committee in its first meeting. The second and third lists, which are likely to come out November 14 and 15, will have the names of candidates for other seats.
The party leadership refused to divulge the names of sitting MLAs and other leaders who are likely to get tickets. But sources said almost all sitting MLAs were likely to be repeated. However, those who have criminal charges against them may find difficult to make the cut. About 1,400 party workers are in the fray for tickets for the 70-member Delhi Assembly elections.
