The Hindu : New Delhi News : Congress takes a lead over BJP

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Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008
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New Delhi

Congress takes a lead over BJP

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

In selection of candidates for Delhi Assembly elections

NEW DELHI: Unlike in the past, the Congress party in Delhi this time has been staying a step ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party in carrying out the various exercises for selection of candidates for the Delhi Assembly elections.

In the latest move, the All-India Congress Committee is learnt to have appointed four observers for taking the process of selections of candidates for the Delhi Assembly elections forward. These observers have been given “segment wise” charge and would interact with party workers and leaders across Delhi before arriving at their own list of suitable candidates for the tickets.

Four observers

The four Central party leaders who have been given the charge of overlooking the selection process in Delhi are Harish Rawat, Chandresh Kumari, Ram Prakash and Harikesh Bahadur. They are expected to hold wide consultations with the party workers in Delhi and are expected to shortlist the candidates in about a week’s time.

Earlier, in a similar exercise, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president J.P. Agarwal had in the first week of July appointed observers who worked in tandem in all the 12 districts of Delhi and came up with a list of candidates for all the 70 seats. This list had been submitted by these observers with the DPCC on August 7.

Leaders glad

The Congress leaders in Delhi are glad that this time round, the party has been taking quick decisions on selection of candidates. “We are moving ahead of the BJP in selection of candidates and this is something very rare,” said a senior DPCC office-bearer, stating that these moves would enable the party prepare better for the polls, which are expected to be closely fought this time round.

“The PCC appointed observers have already submitted their list of candidates after consulting all the past and present elected representatives, party office bearers and prominent leaders from the Assembly constituencies. Now the AICC observers will prepare a similar list. The PCC list would be placed before the Pradesh Election Committee which in fact is the Coordination Committee. It would discuss the merits of the short-listed names and prepare another list. Then the lists prepared by the PEC and the AICC observes would be placed before a selection committee comprising PCC president, Delhi Chief Minister, AICC observers and senior leaders,” the office-bearer said.

Then this committee would send its recommendations to the Central Election Committee that would be constituted by the Congress president. Besides, Sonia Gandhi this panel would comprise general secretary in-charge Delhi affairs, PCC chief and Delhi Chief Minister. It would deliberate on the names before coming out with the final list.

As for the BJP, while the Delhi State unit has already taken the names of candidates from its 271 block units or mandals and 16 district or zila units, the process of short-listing is still on.

After the Delhi Pradesh BJP has short-listed the candidates, the names would be sent to the already constituted Central Election Committee that has two members from Delhi in Vijay Kumar Malhotra and Vijay Goel.

This committee would take a final decision on the candidates.

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