Congress panel discusses ticket allotment for Himachal Vidhan Sabha elections

Tribune News Service

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, September 21

The Congress Screening Committee headed by Deepa Dasmunsi today held its first meeting in New Delhi to discuss the names of candidates for the Vidhan Sabha elections to be held in November.

It has been reliably learnt that there was a consensus on giving ticket to all 20 sitting MLAs though the final announcement would be made later. The members of the Screening Committee include national secretary from Umang from Madhya Pradesh and Dheeraj Gurjar from Rajasthan. The other members include Rajya Sabha MP and Himachal in-charge Rajeev Shukla, HPCC president Pratibha Singh, Congress Legislature party (CLP) leader Mukesh Agnihotri, chairman of the Campaign Committee and MLA Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the three AICC secretaries in-charge of Himachal Sanjay Dutt, Tejinder Singh Bittu and Gurkirat Kotli.

Thecommittee will forward the names of the candidates, whether single or the shortlisted panels, to the Central Election Committee for the final call. Sources said deciding candidates could be ticklish for segments like Shimla (Urban), Theog, Chopal, Pachhad, Bharmour, Kangra, Nalagarh and Paonta Sahib where there are several claimants.

Senior leaders said even in Assembly segments where a decision had been taken on the candidate selection, the final announcement would be made after the formal announcements of elections.

The Congress State Election Committee had on September 5 decided to field all 20 MLAs, besides two AICC secretaries Sudhir Sharma from Dharamsala and Raghubir Bali from Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra.

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