After holding the first Congress Pradesh Election Committee meeting here on Saturday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot declared that the winnability would only be the first and last criterion for candidature for the upcoming assembly elections in the state in December this year.
“It is not a matter of only young or old age candidates, the party would consider any such candidate who could win his seat in the election,” Gehlot told the Media outside PCC Office here.
“You might have noticed that in the Karnataka elections, a 90-year-old was also given a ticket, he won the election. That’s why the ticket will be given to the one who can win,” he clarified, adding that opinion of the public and district/block functionaries’ would also be considered while selecting a candidate for 200 assembly seats in the state.
Functionaries like Pradhan, Zila Pramukh, and councilor of civic bodies, panchayat samiti members can also seek poll tickets on the basis of their popularity and winnability criteria, Gehlot said, and added they would be given priority.
State Congress President Govind Singh Dotasara said from August 21 to 23, a meeting will be held in block congress committees. The applications received in these committees will be presented in the meeting on 24 August. From August 25, the members of the State Election Committee will go to the districts and take feedback on the ticket claimants. Then a panel of at least three and not more than five claimants will be made”.
The meeting chaired by Dotasar was attended among others by CM Gehlot, State in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Sachin Pilot, Dr CP Joshi, AICC’s three incharges. The meeting discussed the criteria for making a panel of tickets, taking feedback and sending names to the screening committee.