PANJIM: Goa Congress Pradesh Election Committee (PEC), under its chairman Girish Chodankar, has shortlisted names of five probable candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, due next month.
The names would be submitted to the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) screening committee on Sunday, when the meeting is scheduled to take place. Chodankar, along with Leader of Opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, AICC secretary and Goa desk in-charge Dr Chellakumar and AICC leader Amit Deshmukh will represent Goa Congress at the meeting.
The party has shortlisted five names, two in North Goa and three in South Goa for the candidature.
Sources revealed that names of GPCC president Girish Chodankar, Mahila Congress President Adv Pratima Coutinho, former Union Minister Ramakant Khalap, Former MP Francisco Sardinha and activist Adv Cleofato Almeida Coutinho names are shortlisted as probable candidates.
The names would be submitted to AICC screening committee during its meeting on Sunday.
Speaking to media persons post the meeting, Chodankar said that the party would be in position to announce the candidates for Lok Sabha elections in next three-five days. “We had received 20 applications in all but will shortlist only three each in North and South Goa,” he said.
He said that the candidates for Lok Sabha elections would be announced first, followed by candidature for by-elections in Mandrem, Shiroda and Mapusa assembly constituencies.
Sources reveal that names of Chodankar for North Goa and Pratima for South Goa are top contenders, as the party, this time wants to give women representation.
However, Dakshinayan’s Adv Cleofato along with Datta Naik met Gandhi in Hubballi this evening, pressing for Cleofato’s candidature from South Goa.
