BHUBANESWAR, January 4: The Chief Minister and president of Pradesh Congress Committee J B Patnaik on Saturday exuded confidence that his party will not only retain 17 parliamentary seats it had won last time in the State but would also improve the tally in the coming polls. The Congress would contest all the 21 seats seriously to win, he told a press conference, adding that the final list of candidates would be out by January 15. The Pradesh election committee, which met on Thursday, was unanimous in its recommendations on candidates in most of the seats.Patnaik sounded unperturbed over the new political alignment in the state to defeat the Congress and said the party had witnessed many such combinations in the past elections and is ready to fight the coming battles all alone. Clearly drawing the strength from the fact that a triangular contest is inevitable, Patnaik remarked that the Congress was even prepared to take on a combined opposition.
Welcoming Sonia's decision to campaign for the party,
Patnaik said the announcement came at the right moment and would certainly help the party to register emphatic victory. Sonia's decision has also dampened the euphoria of the "communal forces" dreaming to sweep the polls, he said.
Central poll panel will decide on Rao
The Pradesh Congress Election Committee has left it to the central election committee of the party to decide on former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao's candidature from Berhampur Lok Sabha seat.
Chief Minister J B Patnaik told newsmen here on Saturday that the Ganjam district committee of the party had recommended Rao's name for the ticket. Asked if the move was in view of the party's reservation to field persons who are facing corruption charges, Patnaik said though such a principle was followed before 1996 Lok Sabha polls there were exceptions. Buta Singh and Kamal Nath were given party tickets even though they were facing such charges, he pointed out.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
