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Consensus eludes Cong. panel

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI NOV.8. Even as the Bharatiya Janata Party took the lead over the Congress in naming candidates for the Delhi Assembly polls, consensus continued to elude the Congress Screening Committee constituted to scrutinise party candidates for the 70 Assembly segments in the Capital. With no agreement on a majority of the seats in sight, the Committee is all set to send its "recommendations'' to the Central Election Committee chaired by the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, which is scheduled to take up discussions on Delhi tomorrow.

It is learnt that the proceedings of the Committee have remained deadlocked amid claims and counter claims by warring factions. With no breakthrough in sight, the Committee is understood to have decided to send all the relevant recommendations to the CEC for its consideration. It is learnt the Committee has been able to zero down on around 25 single names for as much constituencies. A panel of around five names has been formed in around eight constituencies, six in one constituency and two to three names in majority of the constituencies. A dispute of sorts seems to have arisen over dropping of some sitting MLAs as both the Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit and the DPCC president, Chaudhary Prem Singh, are not able to agree who all should be axed and who should replace them in order to give a fresh look to the new team. But certainly a number of sitting MLAs seem to be in trouble after the scrutiny of their records by the Screening Committee headed by the AICC leader, Motilal Vora.

Leading the band of sitting MLAs, about whom questions have been raised, is the Tilak Nagar MLA, Jaspal Singh. Considered close to the AICC leader, Arjun Singh, the Tilak Nagar legislator is facing strong protests from his own party and cadres. The block president and the sitting Congress Councillors are understood to have written to the party High Command and the Screening Committee stating that they would not support the candidature of Mr. Singh. In fact, the local Councillor, Anita Babbar, who is at loggerheads with Mr. Singh, along with the Block President, B. R. Malhotra, are protesting against granting of party ticket to Mr. Jaspal Singh, who is also supported by Ms. Dikshit. Similarly, the Hauz Khas sitting MLA, Kiran Walia, is also facing trouble and could find the going tough. In fact, she has a strong opponent in shape of Bina Singh, daughter of senior AICC leader, Arjun Singh. The party is also exploring the possibility of fielding a social worker and activist from this seat.

Similarly, Charan Singh Kandera, sitting MLA from Narela, is facing stiff opposition from within his constituency and the party for non-performance. He has also reportedly not found favour with the Committee. It is learnt the Screening Committee has also identified Kamal Yadav (Najafgarh), Mahinder Yadav (Palam), Darshana Ram Kumar (Ram Nagar), Moti Lal Bakolia (Karol Bagh), Amrish Gautam (Patparganj) and Radhey Shyam Khanna (Rohtas Nagar) among the sitting MLAs who could find the going tough if given a re-nomination.

It is expected the CEC would discuss the names by tomorrow evening but no announcement is expected before November 10 late night. It is learnt the party would announce a small list around November 11 and then release the larger list on November 13, a day before the last date for filling of nominations.

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