Cong likely to finalise Lok Sabha candidates after Feb 21

Congress is likely to finalise its candidates for the Lok Sabha elections after conclusion of the Parliament session on February 21.
The party today began the process in this regard with the first meeting of its Central Election Committee taking place.
Party chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party Vice President Rahul Gandhi are among the top leaders who are members of the committee which decides the nominations.
Party leaders said that the nominations for those seats will be finalised early which are at present not with the Congress. The party had won 206 seats in the last Lok Sabha polls.

This is being done to avoid any controversy during the session which has a heavy legislative agenda and government is planning to get a number of bills including the one on Telangana passed.
The issue of tainted leaders is expected to figure in seats like Pune, currently being represented by Suresh Kalmadi, who is facing corruption charges in the organisation of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Kalmadi, suspended from the party, is apparently trying hard to get a ticket for his wife Meera Kalmadi or any other member of his family.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan's name too figures from Nanded. Chavan had to quit as Chief Minister in the wake of the Adarsh housing scam.

Former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal is seeking renomination from Chandigarh. He is insisting that the CBI has "come to the conclusion" that he was not at all involved in a case in which his nephew was caught accepting bribe from a Railway Board Member.
Early finalisation of candidates for elections was a key recommendation of the A K Antony Committee, which Rahul is keen to implement in the coming general elections scheduled to be held in April-May.
The party plans to finalise most of the candidates by this month-end.
Candidate selection process has been fast tracked this time unlike in recent decades when the nominees were finalised at the last minute. The decision will give at least two months time to the candidates to prepare for the elections.