Cong list not before March 26

Jaipur: With BJP announcing candidates for 16 seats on Thursday, the Congress is revising its list of shortlisted candidates. The party’s central election committee (CEC) meeting began on Friday evening in New Delhi to finalize candidates but the first list might not be out before March 26, said Congress sources.

Chief minister Ashok Gehlot, deputy CM and PCC president Sachin Pilot and AICC general secretary incharge of the state Avinash Pande, who are camping in Delhi, had held meetings to shortlist candidates on Friday morning. After the late night CEC meeting, the party leaders said another round of meeting has been scheduled for March 26.

Sources said the party might field some senior leaders, including ministers in the Gehlot cabinet for the parliamentary elections. Chief minister Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot is among the front runners from Jodhpur seat, while senior leader and assembly speaker C P Joshi could be the party candidate from Bhilwara. Similarly, names of two cabinet ministers Raghu Sharma and Lal Chand Kataria are in circulation for Ajmer and Jaipur rural seats, respectively.

The ruling party in under pressure as in the changed scenario post Pulwama and Balakot, it needs to rethink the decision about not fielding MLAs and ministers in the Lok Sabha elections.

Rahul rally in Sriganganagar on March 26:

Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to address an election rally in Sriganganagar district on March 26. According to the party’s tentative programme, Rahul’s rally is proposed at Suratgarh at 11 am, followed by a Congress workers meeting at Ramlila Maidan in Jaipur at 2 pm. There is also talk of a roadshow from Jaipur airport to the Ramlila Madian. However, final touches are being made to the one-day tour of the Congress president, sources said.

‘Advani systematically sidelined’:

Transport minister Pratap Singh Kachariyawas on Friday said that the humiliating treatment meted out to veteran BJP leader L K Advani by denying him a seat heralds the end of internal democracy in BJP. He said, Advani was systematically sidelined and denied ticket. “The county is witnessing dictatorship of PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. The deplorable condition of the model villages adopted by BJP MPs is an example of the five years of Modi-rule.”