Cong appoints observers to pick LS poll probables

While the party had in the Assembly elections appointed observers as an experiment,this time their appointment was a low-key affair.

The names of candidates,too,would also be a secret with leaders being asked to give their three preferences in closed envelopes to observers during their visits.

The district units are being informed about the visit of observers only a day before their arrival.

According to sources in the party,some of the observers,who hail from Andhra Pradesh,Madhya Pradesh and Bihar,have already started touring LS constituencies assigned to them.

One of them,Congress MLC from Andhra Pradesh B Chengal Rayudu,was in Sultanpur constituency on Monday. According to sources,Rayudu would also be visiting Mishrikh and Sitapur LS constituencies.

“The observer held separate meetings of each of five Assembly constituencies that fall under Sultanpur LS seat. In order to avoid any confrontation,selected leaders including heads of district and city congress committee,frontal organisations,former MLAs,candidates of last Assembly elections and a representative of sitting MP have been asked to give three probable names in the form given by the observer. These names are not revealed to anyone else and are submitted individually by each leader to the observer”,said Vishnu Prakash,acting president of Sultanpur district.

“The observers are appointed zone-wise,which means that each would cover about 10 LS constituencies,leaving Amethi (Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s seat) and Rae Bareli (Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s seat. They would be spending a day or two in the districts that fall under the respective Lok Sabha constituency and collect names of probable candidates” said a party leader.