New Delhi, Oct 22 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Congress, which has released its first list of candidates for Rajasthan, is expected to release its second list of 35 to 40 more candidates in a day or two, sources said.
According to party sources, the second list of the grand old party will be released soon as discussions have been final on those seats during the Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Wednesday, which was chaired by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge.
The source said that like the first list, the second list will also include the names of 35 to 40 candidates and will feature most of the sitting MLAs and some fresh faces.
The source said that after the Durga Puja celebrations are over, the Screening Committee will meet again to discuss the rest of the candidates and then that list will be sent to the CEC for discussion and finalization.
The source said that the second CEC for Rajasthan is likely to take place on October 29 or 30. It is worth mentioning that the last day for filing nomination for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly is November 6.
The source said that during the first CEC candidature of over 125 seats was finalised and the rest of the 75 seats are yet to be discussed.
The Congress has been planning to drop about 15 to 20 sitting MLAs on the basis of the survey report prepared by party's strategist Sunil Kanugolu.
Kanugolu in his report to the party leadership has flagged strong anti-incumbency against at least 40 sitting MLAs.
The source said that even during the first CEC on Wednesday, which was also attended by Rajasthan Chief Minister, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi took strong objection to the name of cabinet minister Shanti Dhariwal in the list.
Dhariwal was instrumental in holding a parallel meeting of MLAs in September last year at his residence, when Sonia Gandhi, who was the party's interim president had sent Kharge and Ajay Maken as observers to hold the meeting of the CLP.
However, ahead of the Congress Legislature Party meeting on September 25 evening last year, MLAs considered close to Chief Minister Gehlot met under the leadership of Dhariwal in what was seen as a message to the high command to pick a Gehlot loyalist as his successor.
The parallel meeting at Dhaliwal's residence caused huge embarrassment to Kharge and Maken and posed a challenge to the senior leadership.
On Saturday, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and his ministers and former deputy Sachin Pilot found place in the first list of 33 candidates released by the Congress. The list also includes the names of the 30 sitting MLAs.
The party has named Gehlot from Sardarpura Assembly seat while Pilot has been fielded from his Tonk Assembly seat.
Besides Gehlot, the four ministers who have found place in the first list include Bhanwar Singh Bhati, Tikaram Julie, Mamta Bhupesh, Ashok Chandna.
The party has named Speaker C.P. Joshi from Nathdwara Assembly seat.
The party has this time fielded Archana Sharma, chairman of the Social welfare Board from Malviya Nagar Assembly seat, Pushpendra Bharadwaj from Sanganer Assembly seat and Lalit Kumar Yadav from Mundawar Assembly seat.
All three had lost to the BJP in the 2018 Assembly polls.
The Congress has also given tickets to Pilot camp MLAs -- Indraj Singh Gurjar from Viratnagar Assembly seat, Mukhesh Bhakar from Ladnun seat, Ramniwas Gawaria from Parbatsar seat.
The party has fielded state unit chief Govind Dotasara from Lachhmangarh Assembly seat, Harish Choudhary from Baytoo Assembly seat, Divya Maderna from Osian Assembly seat, Olympian Krishna Poonia from Sadulpur Assembly seat.
Polling for the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly was rescheduled to November 25 and counting of votes will take place on December 3.
The Congress is eyeing for a second consecutive term in Rajasthan and has launched several pro-people schemes in the desert state. The Mehangai Rahat Camp, providing LPG cylinders for Rs 500, Chiranjeevi Scheme which gives health insurance up to Rs 25 lakh and the Urban Employment Guarantee are major attractions in the state.
Meanwhile, the BJP also released a second list of 83 candidates for the Rajasthan Assembly elections, which also includes the name of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.
(Anand Singh can be contacted at Anand.s@ians.in)
Source: IANS
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