NEW DELHI, March 2 � The State Congress list of Lok Sabha candidates is likely to be announced on Tuesday when the central election committee (CEC) of the party meets on March 4, even as dissidence within the party threatens to rear its head once again.
The list of Lok Sabha candidates is unlikely to have any major surprises as the AICC has decided to renominate a majority of the sitting MPs. The rush of aspirants is mostly confined to those seats which are held by the Opposition.
According to sources, as most of the recommendations have been worked out during Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi�s Assam visit in consultation with AICC general secretary in-charge Dr CP Joshi and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the State screening committee meeting on Tuesday morning is likely to be a brief affair. The State screening committee is headed by Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and had held only one meeting so far.
�The list of recommended candidates has been shortlisted from the list of applicants,� said a top AICC leader associated with the process.
On the same evening, the CEC will meet to consider the list of candidates of Assam along with a few other seats, said sources, adding that the party has decided to field candidates in all of the seats
barring Kokrajhar, which has been left for its allies. In other words, the Congress party in Assam is unlikely to have any truck with the AIUDF, the sources hinted.
What is significant though is that the AICC has made efforts to keep the disgruntled Himanta Biswa Sarma camp in good humour as well.
According to sources, all sitting MPs, including sitting Kaliabor Lok Sabha MP Dip Gogoi, have been recommended for renomination. But as Gogoi has chosen not to apply for the seat, a candidate from the list of applicants may be selected by the screening committee and forwarded to the CEC. The list of applicants includes Gaurav Gogoi, the Chief Minister�s son.
The other major challenge will be the Guwahati Lok Sabha seat, which saw Manash Bora win the primary. However, the AICC has received over 300 complaints against Bora, which may force the party to rethink and choose a candidate from the list of applicants. The matter is likely to be left to the CEC, of which Rahul Gandhi is also a member, said the sources.
In a surprise move, the Chief Minister has recommended State Minister Gautam Roy for nomination. Roy subsequently met Dr Joshi and opted out. Currently, the list of recommended candidates includes Sushmita Dev, Arun Dutta Mazumdar and Sarifuddin Jamal Laskar, besides Roy.
