New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will chair a meeting of the party’s Central Election Committee on October 7 to finalize tickets for the high-stakes Madhya Pradesh assembly polls amid a tussle over the nominations among senior state leaders.
“See, the chances of a Congress victory are high. It is natural then that there is a rush for tickets. I see that as a positive thing but it also makes resolution a bit ticklish,” AICC secretary in charge of Madhya Pradesh Sanjay Kapoor told ETV Bharat.
“We have done a lot of surveys. The regional leaders have a right to suggest names because they want the party to win. We are trying to find a balance between the various factors while deciding on the tickets. Ultimately, winnability is what matters. A lot of clarity will emerge after the CEC meeting on October 7,” he said.
According to party insiders, the party’s Screening Committee headed by AICC functionary Jitendra Singh had recently met in Delhi to discuss and recommend the probable names but could not arrive at a conclusion.
The reason is that every senior party leader in the poll-bound state wants a share of the pie, in terms of tickets for their respective nominees, as the probability of the Congress coming to power is high among the pollsters.
Though state unit chief Kamal Nath and former chief minister Digvijay Singh have been leading the show in Madhya Pradesh, the AICC has been trying to maintain a balance between regional leaders like Ajay Singh, son of former chief minister and party stalwart Arjun Singh, Arun Yadav, Working President Jitu Patwari, veterans Suresh Pachauri and Kantilal Bhuria, CLP leader Govind Singh and CWC member Kamaleshwar Patel.
According to party insiders, during a recent meeting of the Screening Committee meeting in Delhi, Kamal Nath was miffed at the regional leaders recommending names of potential candidates which were at variance with a survey done by the state unit chief.
When Kamal Nath asked the regional leaders to refrain from doing this, some of them pointed out that they should have a say in ticket distribution at least in their respective zones of influence.
As no consensus could be reached over the issue, Screening Committee head Jitendra Singh intervened to suggest that the regional leaders be at least allowed to suggest names on which the panel could take a call later.
According to party insiders, the tussle is over whether to suggest a single name per assembly seat to the Central Election Committee on a large number of the seats or recommend a panel of three names which can be reviewed and resolved by the party chief.
AICC secretary in charge of Madhya Pradesh CP Mittal said: “If the nominations of regional leaders match with the party’s internal survey, the chances of a candidate become bright. All these issues are resolved by talking out to the respective leaders. Everyone should feel involved but must realize that not all aspirants can get tickets.”
“We have asked the aspirants to support whichever candidate gets an official nomination. The regional leaders may be placated by accepting their recommendations wherever possible,” he said.
Also read: Congress will conduct caste census if voted to power: Rahul Gandhi in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh
