Congress Poll Panel Meets to Finalise Names for Maha, J’khand Polls

New Delhi: The Congress’ central election committee met here on Monday to finalise candidates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls. The Congress’ panel for screening candidates for the Maharashtra polls cleared names on 62 seats last week for consideration of the CEC.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Congress general secretary (in-charge, organisation) K.C. Venugopal, among others, attended the meeting at the AICC headquarters.

After the meeting, Maharashtra state unit chief Nana Patole said, “Today we had a discussion on 63 seats. There will be a meeting of CEC on Tuesday and Balasaheb Thorat will meet Pawar and Udhhav Thackeray. BJP is trying to reduce the votes of MVA. We have decided today that wherever people’s names have been removed from the voter list, we will demand an inquiry. We are confident that our government will be formed.”

Insiders claim that out of the 63 seats in consideration, the CEC had cleared 52 seats in Maharashtra. The first list of candidates may come as early as Wednesday. The Congress may get around 110 seats in the MVA in Maharashtra.

In Jharkhand, the CEC discussed all the 29 seats in its quota. Sources said that 18 seats were cleared in the meeting. Another meeting is expected within this week.