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Journalism of Courage
GROWING UNREST among Congress ticket aspirants in the Doaba region, which played a decisive role in the formation of the SAD-BJP government in the last two Assembly elections in 2007 and 2012, seems to be giving sleepless nights to the party cadre. More so because the Congress is yet to announce candidates for 15 of the 23 seats in Doaba while SAD and AAP candidates are about to finish the first round of campaigning.
Of the total 61 candidates, which the Congress announced in its first list, only eight are from Doaba while the decision on the remaining seats has been kept pending due to bickering over tickets.
Party leaders said the delay may see a repeat of the 2007 and 2012 results, when the Congress suffered a blow in its traditional stronghold.
“In 2007 and 2012, too, candidates for several seats in Doaba were announced just before filing of nominations began. The same is being done now as only four days are left for starting of nominations,” said a senior Congress leader.
“Every time, our high command takes a long time to give tickets and by then, the candidates of other parties have completed several rounds of campaigning,” said a Congress leader.
“We don’t even have three weeks of campaigning left, and are still waiting for tickets. Such delays have a demoralising effect on the party cadre,” said one of the contenders from Jalandhar Cantonment constituency.
In contrast, both the AAP and SAD announced their candidates for most of the seats in Doaba about a month back.
