Cong candidates’ list before March 15

Staff Reporter
 GUWAHATI, March 6 – Some of the Congress Ministers and sitting Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the party may be left out of the final list of the candidates for the ensuing Assembly elections even as the party exuded confidence in securing majority.

The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) will announce the final list of the candidates before March 15.
APCC president Bhubeneswar Kalita told media persons today that the final list would be announced after the meeting of the election committee, which would be followed by the screening committee meet of the party.
The two-day election committee meet would begin on March 8, while the screening committee members would deliberate from March 10 to March 12 in Guwahati.
"Some of the Ministers and the MLAs of our party may not feature in the list, which is not new to the Congress party. We believe in projecting new faces and this election will be no exception," the APCC chief stated, adding, "Tickets would be given to those with maximum winning possibility."
Kalita, when asked, stated that the Congress would field its candidates in all the constituencies, including the BTAD.
He further informed that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh would also campaign for the party in the State, besides other national leaders and Chief Ministers of the Congress-ruled States.
"The poll campaign has already started across the State though candidate-centric campaign would begin only after March 15, the deadline set for the announcement of the final list," Kalita said.

Replying to another query, he stated that the decision on the next Chief Minister would be taken by the party high command only after the results are declared and he has nothing to comment on this. He also stated that the poll manifesto would be releasedsoon