Cong team to shortlist Punjab candidates

The sources said the high command had resolved that only one member of a family would be given the party ticket. This was conveyed to both Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state Congress president Shammsher Singh Dullo, who met senior Congress leaders, including general secretary in-charge Janardan Dwivedi, last evening.

The new thumb rule for the allotment of tickets is rooted in the Haryana experience, where former CM Bhajan Lal rebelled even though the Congress gave tickets not only to him, but also his elder son Chander Mohan and nephew Duda Ram in last Assembly polls and still faced a revolt from him and his supporters later. Earlier, Bhajan Lal8217;s younger son Kuldeep Bishnoi had been elected to the Lok Sabha from Bhiwani.

The sources said the party leadership was treading very cautiously. It does not want a replay of the last experience when potential candidates and their supporters from Punjab descended on the AICC headquarters here and created an ugly situation. Nor does the leadership want to repeat the Haryana exercise that attracted a lot of flak for Dwivedi.

It is felt, given the seniority of the three observers, their presence would be reassuring for the rank and file. The high command is understood to have woken up to the disadvantage inherent in a late selection of candidates. The rival Akali Dal has already stolen a march over the Congress by announcing the names of 62 candidates for the February 13 polls. They are already out in the field canvassing for votes. With the BJP slated to get at least 22 seats, the Akali Dal has to name only 30-odd candidates for the 117-member Assembly.

The Chief Minister said here last evening that the state Congress would forward its panels of names of potential candidates by January 10. The deadline for sending in applications expired yesterday.