New Delhi: With less than a month left for the crucial Rajasthan Assembly elections, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday chaired the meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC) to finalise the rest of the 105 candidates.
Besides Kharge, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, General Secretary, Organisation, K.C. Venugopal, senior party leaders Ambika Soni, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, state in charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Screening Committee chairman Gaurav Gogoi, state unit chief Govind Singh Dotasra and others were present.
According to party sources, the candidates could not be finalised in the meeting and another meeting is scheduled on Tuesday at 12 noon.
Following the meeting, Kharge, in a post on X, said: “This time the customs will change in Rajasthan, public relief and happiness will prevail! Health insurance, affordable cylinders and advanced farmers, Griha Lakshmi for women and upliftment of youth! Rajasthan will re-elect Congress Public welfare schemes will be respected. An important discussion regarding Rajasthan took place in the Central Election Committee meeting today.”
Party sources said that during the meeting, Rahul Gandhi was annoyed over the fielding most of the sitting MLAs as candidates in the elections citing the internal party reports and people unhappy with them.
The Congress leader also showed his displeasure for not fielding young candidates where the party had options.
The source further said that the names of party leader Shanti Dhariwal, Mahesh Joshi and Dharmendra Rathore are still in pending list.
The source said that even veteran BJP leader Jaswant Singh’s son Manvendra Singh Jasol will be given ticket.
The Congress has already announced 95 candidates out of 200 for Rajasthan. On October 26, the party had named 19 candidates in its third list. The Congress has earlier released two lists for Rajasthan with 33 and 43 candidates respectively on October 21 and 22. It has named most of the sitting MLAs in its three lists. Polling for the 200 member Rajasthan assembly is rescheduled on November 25 and counting of votes will take place on December 3.
The Congress is eyeing for a second consecutive term in Rajasthan and has launched several pro-people schemes in the desert state and also announced seven guarantees on Friday.
–IANS
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