Congress starts candidate selection process for Delhi polls

In an effort to finalise the candidates' list for upcoming assembly polls well in advance, Delhi Congress today asked all ticket aspirants to file their applications by December 20.
Sources said the Congress' Delhi leadership would like former MPs and Union ministers to contest the polls so that the party puts up a stiff fight and come out with a "good performance" in the assembly polls.
Talking about the selection process, DPCC chief spokesperson Mukesh Sharma said all prospective candidates would have to fill and submit applications along with "all relevant" documents.
Asked whether former Union ministers and MPs would contest the polls, he said party leadership will take a call on the issue. All the seven MPs including Union ministers in UPA Kapil Sibal, Ajay Maken and Krishna Tirath were defeated in the Lok Sabha polls.

"It will be good for the party if former MPs and Union ministers decide to fight the polls," said a senior leader.
Sharma said former MPs and ministers will not have to file application for candidature. He said the party wants to complete the candidate selection process as soon as possible.

Congress had won only eight seats in assembly polls in December last year while it drew blank in the Lok Sabha election.
"We will accept applications from prospective candidates to contest on the Congress party ticket in all the 70 Assembly seats up to December 20," Sharma said.
Congress has already begun its election campaign, and the names of the party candidates would be finalized at the earliest, he said.

Prospective candidates will have to furnish details about court cases, if any, against them, he said.