Congress to announce names of Delhi candidates after Nov 8

Congress will announce names of its candidates for Delhi assembly polls any day after a meeting of the Central Election Committee chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi on November 8.
A party functionary speaking on the condition of anonymity said another meeting of Congress' screening committee for Delhi headed by Union minister V Narayanasamy will take place tomorrow, which will thrash out pending issues as well as names of candidates in remaining constituencies.
A meeting of the party's Central Election Committee on October 28 had taken a decision that the names of candidates will be announced after Diwali.
Sources said that the party's screening committee has already taken a decision to repeat most of its sitting MLAs barring three-four against whom there are some serious allegations and anticipated strong anti-incumbency not only among voters but within party cadres as well.

The names of 30-odd candidates were finalised by the screening committee earlier. Congress has 43 MLAs in the 70-member state assembly.
In its meeting on October 25, the screening committee had finalised the criteria for selecting candidates for the December 4 assembly polls.

The sources said that those getting tickets will have to have their names proposed in at least from one of the eight forums -- either of the two blocks in an assembly segment, the district committee, observer, party's internal survey, MP, PCC president and CLP leader.
While those, who have lost an assembly election by a margin of 10,000 votes will not be considered, candidates, who have lost municipal corporation polls by more than 2500 votes will also not be fielded on the same criteria as there are four municipal wards in one assembly.

There is already a decision not to give ticket to anybody facing serious criminal charge in all the five assembly going states including Delhi.
A decision was also taken earlier not to give tickets to those who suffered two consecutive defeats in either assembly polls or municipal elections.