The Congress party’s screening committee for the Haryana Assembly elections is set to begin its four-day deliberations from Tuesday, marking a critical phase in the selection of candidates for the upcoming polls. Originally scheduled for Monday, the meeting was postponed due to the Janmashtami festival.
Haryana Congress incharge Deepak Babaria confirmed, “The screening committee meeting will now be held on Tuesday, and the deliberations to decide the candidates will last for three to four days.”
Simultaneously, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) has been conducting interviews with ticket aspirants. This team, led by senior leader Ajay Maken and comprising Manickam Tagore, Jignesh Mevani, and Srinivas BV, is tasked with narrowing down the list of potential candidates. The committee is expected to forward its recommendations to the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) after careful consideration.
According to party sources, ground surveys conducted with the help of private agencies will play a significant role in determining the final list of candidates. The focus is on winnability, as the party seeks to select contenders with the best chances of success.
In a strategic move, Babaria has also summoned all party MPs, one by one, to discuss potential candidates from the assembly constituencies within their respective Lok Sabha constituencies. This initiative underscores the importance of aligning local and national strategies to maximize the party’s electoral prospects.
However, the committee’s task is further complicated by the overwhelming response from aspirants, with 2,556 applications submitted for the 90 assembly seats. The central leadership has emphasized the need for selecting candidates who not only reflect diverse social backgrounds but also demonstrate unwavering loyalty to the party.
Adding to the complexity, the committee is awaiting a response from the Election Commission regarding a plea filed by the Haryana BJP president, seeking a brief postponement of the polls scheduled for October 1. This decision could impact the finalization of the Congress candidate list.
Amid these developments, senior Congress leaders from Haryana, including Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kumari Selja, Randeep Surjewala, and Capt Ajay Yadav, have intensified their efforts to ensure their loyalists secure nominations. These leaders are running parallel campaigns across the state, each projecting their supporters as the most viable candidates, further heating up the internal race for tickets.
As the Congress inches closer to finalizing its candidate list, the party faces the herculean task of balancing internal dynamics while presenting a united front in the upcoming elections. The next few days will be crucial in shaping the party’s strategy and determining its prospects in Haryana.