The Congress flag.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: The Congress on Monday finalised the names of 34 candidates, including 22 sitting MLAs, for the Assembly elections in Haryana and is now expected to announce names for all 90 seats in a couple of days.
The party also declared six candidates for the second phase of Jammu and Kashmir elections, which included state president Tariq Hameed Karra who will be contesting from Central Shalteng, after a meeting of Congress' Central Election Committee (CEC).
As far as Haryana is concerned, Congress General Secretary and the party's state in-charge Deepak Babaria told reporters that the Screening Committee and Central Election Committee will meet on Tuesday again to finalise names for the rest of the seats.
Sources said the name of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has been cleared.
Babaria said that on Monday, the CEC discussed names for 49 seats presented by the Haryana Screening Committee headed by senior leader Ajay Maken but there were disagreement on 15 seats. The CEC headed by party president Mallikarjun Kharge decided to leave the 15 contentious seats to a review committee to take the final call.
"A list of 49 names was presented by the state's screening committee, out of which 34 have been approved and 15 are pending. Names of 22 MLAs have also been cleared. The meeting will continue tomorrow (Tuesday) and hopefully the final list will be announced the day after tomorrow," Babaria added.
Asked whether wrestler Vinesh Phogat would also be a candidate, he said the speculation surrounding her would also be laid to rest by Tuesday. He also said that the Congress High Command has not given any signal about fielding sitting MPs.
The criteria for candidature was based on winnability and image of leaders. Those who have lost elections more than twice were also not considered.
Comin to Jammu and Kashmir, Karra told reporters that the Screening Committee for the state held a meeting for about four-and-half hours to discuss candidates for 29 seats that go to polls in second and third phases.
"With the notification for the second phase issued, our emphasis was on the second phase, so that all the seats are cleared in the CEC meeting today... We discussed candidates for the third phase as well," he said.
Congress, fighting in alliance with National Conference and others, has so far named 15 candidates.
"As far as the 23 seats of the third phase are concerned, the central leadership has asked for further information for five or six seats, but we requested them that instead of calling the CEC again, we can forward it to the (party) president's office and the president has the prerogative, authority to take that decision on his own," Karra said.