Cong in a fix over reserved seats - Finding it difficult to shortlist ‘winnable’ candidates in 15 of 34 segments
Friday, 25/11/2016
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/cong-in-a-fix-over-reserved-seats/328174.html
Chandigarh : Despite the top-heavy Dalit leadership in the Punjab Congress, the party is finding it difficult to shortlist “winnable” candidates in at least 15 out of the 34 reserved seats for the 2017 Assembly elections.
The issue of giving tickets to “winnable” Dalit and Hindu candidates also figured during discussions held by the party’s top leadership on the sidelines of the screening committee meeting in Delhi.
A senior leader said, “In 24 out of the 34 reserved seats, where the party lost during the 2012 Assembly elections, the candidates do not conform to the winnability criteria.”
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Capt Amarinder Singh has already indicated that there might be swapping of some Dalit seats and new candidates would be fielded at certain seats. This is particularly true for Bathinda (rural) seat, where senior leader Makhan Singh has not been keeping good health. The candidates, who fought on the party ticket from Jagraon and Nihal Singh Wala, have also joined SAD.
“With new faces being fielded in reserved seats by Akalis, especially in the Doaba region, the job of the Congress has become all the more challenging as apart from looking for youth, the party is looking for fresh faces and candidates with clean image,” said a senior leader in the PPCC.
On seats like Jandiala, Attari, Adampur, Sham Chaurasi, Ferozepur (Rural), Balluana, Malout, Dirba and Shutrana, the party is “desperately looking for winnable candidates” and sitting MLAs might be replaced.
With the joining of SAD rebel Sarwan Singh Phillaur, the party aims to consolidate the Dalit vote bank that apparently weaned away in the 2007 and 2012 Assembly elections.
