Congress to release list of 100 candidates soon

LUCKNOW: The first list of '100 winnable' Congress candidates including the sitting MLAs is likely to be out within a fortnight.

Talking to the media on Tuesday, UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi said, "UPCC election committees meeting mulled over the issue in details. Each member has been provided with complete information along with the recommendations made by the district committees and yatra prabharis on the probable candidates."

The list would be soon forwarded to the central screening committee, within four days and it will shortlist the finalists and forward the final draft to the central election committee.
The process may be over within 15– 20 days, Joshi said.

Terming the development as a happy one, Pramod Tiwari, the Congress legislative party leader in UP Vidhan Sabha said, "In past, the Congress had failed to complete the candidates' selection up to the last day of withdrawal. We have been laggard on this count. However, with Rahul overseeing everything this time, things are moving at a fast pace. We are going to ensure that every candidate gets at least six month for intensive campaigning," Tiwari said.The meeting also decided upon setting up a party manifesto committee by the next week, Joshi declared. The document it has been proposed must focus on and highlight the central schemes. "The task would be over by a month and the final draft will be presented to the unit's in-charge Digvijay Singh then," Joshi said.

Joshi also said that with special emphasis will be on the rural areas and famers issues need to be taken up more seriously. The party, she said, would hold mahapanchayat in every divisional headquarter and all MPs and MLAs will participate in these events.

Both the Congress leaders thanked the prime minister for keeping UP's interest intact during Tuesday's cabinet reshuffle. Joshi expressed satisfaction over the elevation of Beni Prasad Verma's profile, additional charge to Salman Khurshid and also induction of Rajiv Shukla. "Though we were expecting one more minister from UP," she said adding that the reshuffle proves the importance UP in the national politics.


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