Aspiring Congress candidates in Odisha have to apply online for tickets for LS, Assembly polls
The candidates have to furnish in detail about their activities in constituencies and explain what edge they have over their possible rivals
BHUBANESWAR: All India Congress Committee (AICC) Odisha in-charge Dr Ajoy Kumar on Thursday said prospective candidates seeking party tickets to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha and State Assembly polls shall have to apply online. The candidates have to furnish in detail about their activities in constituencies and explain what edge they have over their possible rivals.
The decision to ask the aspiring candidates to apply online was taken following a closed-door meeting at the state guest house here. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak, Odisha in-charge of the Congress Ajoy Kumar, and AICC Screening Committee chairman Madhusudan Mistry were also present at the meeting.
Sources close to the party said the AICC has entrusted the responsibility of bringing transparency in ticket distribution to party leader Pravin Kumar. Soon, e-forms will be made available for aspiring candidates to apply.
In case of more than one aspirant, the Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) will study the winnability of the candidates and choose one from among them. Then, a list of the aspiring candidates will be sent to the Screening Committee. After the approval of the Screening Committee, tickets will be given to the suitable candidates, informed sources.
“If anyone wants to contest elections, they have to apply online. Then there will be a survey team. The survey will be transparent without entertaining any lobby of any leaders. The report will be submitted to the Pradesh Election Committee. The Pradesh Election Committee will then send its final list to Delhi,” said Ajoy Kumar.
Informing about the selection procedure, OPCC chief Sarat Pattanayak said, “For ticket distribution, complete transparency will be followed. A candidate’s winnability will be our first criterion. Our priority will be women and young faces. Besides, those who lost the last election by slender margins will also be considered.”
The Congress has nine MLAs in the 147-member Odisha Legislative Assembly. Of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state, it won only one in the 2019 polls.