PANJIM: After missing the deadline by almost two months, the Congress District Committees have submitted their choice of probable candidates for the 2017 Assembly elections to the Pradesh Election Committee. The Committees have proposed that the party fight the elections alone.
“Both District Committees have submitted names of the candidates for all 40 constituencies. These names will be discussed at the Pradesh Election Committee meeting next month, before being forwarded to the Central Election Committee,” party sources confirmed.
As per the deadline set, the District Committees were to submit the names of probable candidates by August 31, but had sought additional time.
“The District Committees have scrutinized the names submitted by the block committees. In a few constituencies there are more than two probable candidates,” sources said.
“The list has been kept confidential. All probables have been named in it. All the 40 constituencies are covered considering the possibility that the party will fight elections on its own,” sources said.
The Party High Command, including All India Congress Committee (AICC) Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary in charge of the Goa desk Digvijay Singh are of the opinion that the candidates should be announced in advance.
However, sources said that the announcement may come only after the Election Commission of India (ECI) declares the poll date. “Apart from the sitting MLAs, High Command wants new faces in the rest of the constituencies,” sources said.
