SHIMLA: Over two dozen names for the tickets have been cleared in the Pradesh Election Committee meeting held in Delhi on Monday. While on the seats where candidates are more, panels have been formed and now the scrutiny committee will take decision on such seats.
Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma who had resigned from the post of chairman of steering committee, for his constant neglect, was also present in the meeting.
Former MP and former union minister Anand Sharma had resigned from the post of chairman of Steering Committee recently after he was not invited to any of the party meetings held in Delhi, Chandigarh and Shimla. But on Monday, he attended the meeting of Pradesh election committee.
State Congress president Pratibha Singh chaired the meeting. According to sources, a decision has been taken in the meeting that single name of sitting MLAs and senior leaders would be sent to the high command for approval. While on other seats, panels would be formed and same would be sent to the screening committee.
The meeting was held at Chhattisgarh Bhawan in Delhi and discussion was held on each assembly seat. On some seats where intense battle is being seen among the leaders for ticket no consensus could be evolved. To take decision on the panel of names on disputed seats, the screening committee meeting is likely to be held within this month.
Congress has constituted a screening committee, for the assembly election, headed by Deepa Dasmunshi as chairperson with Umang Singhar and Dhiraj Gurjar as members. AICC incharge for state Rajeev Shukla, state president Pratibha Singh, leader of opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, chairman of campaign committee Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and AICC Secretaries incharge of state are its be ex-officio members. After considering the applications for tickets, the screening committee will send some names to the Central Election Committee who will then finalize the names of candidates.
With single name finalised on over two dozen seats, it is expected soon the candidates would be announced on such seats. Sources said that beside all the sitting MLAs, the names of three AICC secretaries and names of couple of senior leaders have also been cleared, sources said.
All the names cleared in the meeting would be sent to the Congress high command for approval only after that final announcement would be made. Congress had received 700 applications for the tickets from 68 assembly seats of Himachal Pradesh.
