Cong poll panel to meet on Tuesday

SHILLONG: The Congress election committee will meet on Tuesday at the official residence of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma to recommend the names of candidates to contest the Assembly polls.
Unlike other political parties, the Congress will contest in all the 60 seats.
The working president of the party, Vincent Pala, said on Saturday that the role of the election committee will be to recommend the names as the final decision on candidates’ names will be taken by the AICC. “The election panel is a mere screening committee and whoever had applied for party tickets, we will send the list to AICC,” he said. The chief minister is expected to contest from his home constituency Ampati and Songsak, which is currently held by NPP’s Nihim D Shira.
In the last Assembly polls in 2013, the party had released the names of all the 60 candidates much in advance on January 7.
The desertions of several Congress legislators had delayed the process of early selection of Congress candidates.
Non-Cong MLAs apply
for tickets
Four Independents and one NCP legislator have already applied for party ticket.
The four Independent MLAs— Brigady Marak (Bajengdoba), Ashahel D Shira (Rajabala), Michael Sangma (Tikrikilla), David Nongrum (Mawryng-kneng) and NCP MLA from Mendipathar Marthon Sangma — had sought ticket from the party.
Their applications will also be discussed in the election panel meeting.
) Prior to the meeting of the election panel of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee, the campaign committee of the party headed by Home Minister HDR Lyngdoh will meet at Congress Bhavan on Monday to discuss the campaign strategy.
Congress bigwigs, including party president Rahul Gandhi, are expected to campaign in the state before the polls.