Panaji: Congress has started the process of shortlisting candidates for the 2022 assembly elections and will announce the same first. List by the end of November or Soon December, State Party President Girish Chodankar said this on Sunday. The party has already constituted an election screening committee.
Chodankar also emphasized that the party will select fresh faces and young candidates for 80% of the constituencies. However, the Congress will not offer the chief minister’s post. Candidate He said that he will decide on this post before the elections and only after the election results are out.
In the 2017 assembly elections, the Congress won 17 seats in the 40-member house, reducing the BJP to 13, but disagreements over the chief minister’s post and other factors allowed the BJP to gain the upper hand and form a coalition government.
“People want the candidates to be announced early. Our process of shortlisting candidates for Goa elections will gain momentum as the party has announced a screening committee for Goa. At least 70% to 80% of Congress candidates will be young and fresh,” Chodankar said.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has shortlisted MPs Rajni Patil and Hibi Eden, Dhruv Narayan, AICC in-charge of Goa Desk, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Chodankar and opposition leader Digambar Kamat to finalize the names of candidates. A State Election Committee will shortlist the candidates selected by the various blocks and submit it to the Screening Committee.
Chodankar and Rao insisted that none of the 10 MLAs who left the party and joined the BJP would be considered.
While Chodankar declined to comment on the pre-poll alliance, Rao confirmed that the party is in talks with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).
“As far as I know, talks are on with the parties which have come forward for the alliance. But I don’t know the details,” Chodankar said. The party strategists will decide on the basis of what the party wants and what the people of Goa want.
Chodankar said the block committees of the party would be taken into confidence while deciding the candidates. “More weight will be given to the candidates recommended by the block committees in the respective constituencies,” he added.
Chodankar also emphasized that the party will select fresh faces and young candidates for 80% of the constituencies. However, the Congress will not offer the chief minister’s post. Candidate He said that he will decide on this post before the elections and only after the election results are out.
In the 2017 assembly elections, the Congress won 17 seats in the 40-member house, reducing the BJP to 13, but disagreements over the chief minister’s post and other factors allowed the BJP to gain the upper hand and form a coalition government.
“People want the candidates to be announced early. Our process of shortlisting candidates for Goa elections will gain momentum as the party has announced a screening committee for Goa. At least 70% to 80% of Congress candidates will be young and fresh,” Chodankar said.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) has shortlisted MPs Rajni Patil and Hibi Eden, Dhruv Narayan, AICC in-charge of Goa Desk, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Chodankar and opposition leader Digambar Kamat to finalize the names of candidates. A State Election Committee will shortlist the candidates selected by the various blocks and submit it to the Screening Committee.
Chodankar and Rao insisted that none of the 10 MLAs who left the party and joined the BJP would be considered.
While Chodankar declined to comment on the pre-poll alliance, Rao confirmed that the party is in talks with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Goa Forward Party (GFP) and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP).
“As far as I know, talks are on with the parties which have come forward for the alliance. But I don’t know the details,” Chodankar said. The party strategists will decide on the basis of what the party wants and what the people of Goa want.
Chodankar said the block committees of the party would be taken into confidence while deciding the candidates. “More weight will be given to the candidates recommended by the block committees in the respective constituencies,” he added.
,