First list this week, say Congress leaders

The Congress is expected to come out with its first list of candidates for Lok Sabha polls by the end of this week and this would include candidates from constituencies that will go to the polls in early phases, party leaders said Wednesday.

Congress leaders said that the party had held discussions on seats across several states and priority would be given to seats going for polls in early phases.

"The first list is expected to come by March 8-9," a party leader, who did not want to be quoted, told IANS.

The Election Commission Wednesday announced election schedule for Lok Sabha elections spread over nine days in April-May.

The Congress has so far not declared its first list of candidates even as many other parties including the Bharatiya Janata Party have done so.

Congress leaders had been pitching for early declaration of candidates for Lok Sabha polls but that has not happened.

Kerala and Haryana will go the polls April 10 and several other crucial states including Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh will go for the first phase of polling on that day.

The Election Commission is expected to issue notification for these constituencies March 13. Some constituencies are scheduled to go to the polls April 7 and April 9 and notification of these constituencies is also expected to be issued next week.

The Congress has also not found it easy to stitch alliances in some states.

While it has managed to have an alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Bihar on the day of announcement of polls, there is still uncertainty concerning party's ties with the Telangana Rashtra Samithi.