Rajasthan Assembly Elections 2018: Congress Cec Meet Today to Clear First List; 120 Names Expected

The Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting headed by Congress party president Rahul Gandhi will put a stamp on the first list of candidates on Monday for the state Assembly polls. Over 120 candidates may be declared in the first list that would be followed by remaining names that might be released between November 15 and 18.

The three-member screening committee panel headed by Rajya Sabha MP Kumari Selja has prepared panels for the candidates. Most of the panels have single names, of which maximum are among 25 sitting MLAs and senior leaders including former ministers and union ministers. There is confusion on many seats where mutual consent has not been reached despite several rounds of meetings held with PCC chief Sachin Pilot and AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot. According to sources, ‘in the absence of specific criteria’ in ticket distribution discontent on several seats has cropped. Senior leaders want tickets for those who have lost elections twice with huge margin which has left panel in a dilemma. Hence, the screening panel is taking feedback from four state co-incharges Vivek Bansal, Qazi Mohammad Nijamuddin, Devendra Kumar and Tarun Kumar. Informal meetings with Gehlot, Pilot and Leaders of Opposition Rameshwer Dudi are on too.

On Sunday, screening committee too informally discussed candidates panel. Meanwhile, Pilot has claimed that mutual consensus on most seats has been reached and the list will be discussed with Rahul on Monday.

“We have CEC meeting tomorrow. We are trying to arrive at a consensus on most of the seats and take the list to the party president so that he can finalise the list. It will happen first time in Rajasthan that mutual consensus will be made on candidature by leaders and workers. The intention is that good candidates contest election and our pro-people government gets formed in state,” said Pilot. He added, “Pre or post alliance at national and state level will be decided by Rahul. As I have already said we are willing to for pre or post alliance with like minded parties.”

IN A FIX

There is confusion on many seats where mutual consent has not been reached despite several rounds of meetings held with PCC chief Sachin Pilot and AICC general secretary Ashok Gehlot.



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