Youth,women to get preference in Cong second list

Senior party leaders including Digvijaya Singh,Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Pramod Tiwari participated in the meeting that took place in Delhi under chairmanship of Mohan Prakash.

Sources informed that the party is planning to announce about 60 names in the second list but as there are some seats for which different names have been recommended by observers,the DCC unit of the state Congress and senior leaders from the area. A “field survey” would be conducted in such areas as a way out.

“In the second list,recommendations of central observers of the party,Sandesh Yatra incharges,those who contested Lok Sabha election in 2009 and district Congress committees will be considered while deciding the second list of the party for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. Names that are common in all the lists would be given first priority,” said a senior party leader.

He informed that the party is planning to give more representation to youth and women in the second list. Even relatives of freedom fighters would be given priority on some seats.

It has also been decided that candidates who have lost more than two times in the past despite being selected repeatedly would be dropped.

As for the “field survey”,a leader who was part of the meeting said the party has decided to engage independent individuals who are not be known to party workers in that district to do a ground check of candidates in that constituency.

He said the survey would be conducted only in those constituencies where there is confusion over the right candidate and where there is more than one strong candidate. A second round of meeting has been called on Wednesday.