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Congress to name candidates for Lok Sabha elections soon

Atiq Khan

Digvijay Singh to review proposals from aspirants
Party rules out truck with Samajwadi Party

LUCKNOW: With the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party initiating the candidate-naming exercise for the next Lok Sabha election, the Congress on Wednesday also launched its own.

This time round there is a sense of urgency in the Congress to name candidates well in advance. The practice of naming the candidates shortly before elections had cost the party dear in the past.

Shortlisting

The Congress central leadership has assigned to the members of the Coordination Committee of the Uttar Pradesh Congress the responsibility of shortlisting the probable candidates in each Lok Sabha constituency.

All-India Congress Committee (AICC) secretary and MP Rajiv Shukla told journalists here that the list of the Congress candidates would be declared soon.

He said the proposals submitted by the Coordination Committee members would be reviewed by the AICC general secretary and in charge for U.P. affairs, Digvijay Singh, here on June 3.

Good response

Mr. Shukla, who has been given the responsibility of interacting with the applicants in Lucknow, Mohanlalganj and Sitapur Lok Sabha constituencies, said he had received proposals from prospective candidates from Lucknow. There has been a good response from the party workers.

Denying the possibility of a poll tie-up between the Congress and Samajwadi Party, the AICC secretary said this was media speculation. He said the Samajwadi Party, which is part of the “Third Front,” has to first clarify its position.

Referring to the invitation extended to the SP for the United Progressive Alliance’s fourth anniversary dinner, Mr. Shukla said all the supporting parties whose letters were in the Rashtrapati Bhavan, including the Bahujan Samaj Party, were invited for the dinner.

He said the youth policy advocated by Rahul Gandhi would be beneficial for the Congress.

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