Haryana elections: 2nd list pending, Congress now looks to pacify rejected ticket-seekers
CHANDIGARH: A day after releasing what has been described by its insiders as its “safe list” of 32 candidates for Oct 5 Haryana assembly polls, the Congress is now gearing up to pacify disheartened ticket-seekers ahead of releasing its lists for remaining candidates.
Just after releasing its first list which included 28 sitting party MLAs, wrestler Vinesh Phogat, HPCC chief Udai Bhan, turncoat MLA Ram Karan Kala and independent MLA Dharam Pal Gonder, leaders in the Congress high command had aired apprehensions of being faced by a revolt after the second list.
Till Friday, the party’s central election committee (CEC) had cleared 71 names. Congress high command has tasked Lok Sabha MP Selja Kumari, Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala, former Union minister Birender Singh, and other MPs to make efforts to pacify their loyalists and supporters who had applied for tickets.
Around 3,000 aspirants has applied for party tickets from 90 assembly constituencies. A majority of ticket-seekers are those who were promised candidature during the Lok Sabha elections for their active and intensified campaign. As a result, all of them have high hopes from MPs of their area or leaders they are affiliated to.
“There are multiple applications from many constituencies, especially those reserved for various castes. Besides, we have come across people in every block who had been promised an assembly election ticket as a reward to their work during Lok Sabha elections. In such a situation, added by a strong wave in favour of Congress, emotions are running high. We are hopeful of being able to control the situation,” said a leader of AICC.
Congress legislature party (CLP) leader Bhupinder Hooda termed resentment among ticket-seekers as a “temporary phase”. “Such incidents happen, and we always find one-two such instances. We are moving in the right direction and there will not be any problem. Our senior leaders are already out. Once campaigning begins after nomination, everything will be settled. Shortly, the party will come out with more lists,” said Hooda.
The Congress high command has not allocated any quota to senior leaders, but Selja and Surjewala have been specifically asked to suggest the names of their choice of candidates.
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