NEW DELHI, Jan 13: The Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) began its long-awaited meeting tonight to tackle the tricky question of fixing norms for selection of candidates for the election, amid indications that the first list of names is likely to be released tomorrow.Several members of the key panel were not available tonight and hence the meeting limited itself to a preliminary discussion on some first-timers to be renominated and deliberated on what to do about tickets for those who have been chargesheeted.
The most high-profile among these is the case of former Premier and party president PV Narasimha Rao, who represented Berhampur constituency (Orissa) in the last Lok Sabha. The Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) took the easy way out by leaving Rao's fate in the hands of the CEC. There have been demands for dropping Rao, since he is entangled in a couple of court cases and for his failure to prevent the demolition of Babri Masjid.
Rao has had troubled relations with Sonia Gandhi and
Sitaram Kesri, the twin centres of power in the Congress at present. Left to themselves, both may not want to allot Rao a ticket but things are not so simple in the Congress.
Speculation is rife that Rao will be denied a ticket only if there is a specific request from 10, Janpath.
Some CWC leaders, however, feel that Kesri may just be in a mood to let Rao contest as a strict application of the norms for candidates' selection could lead to more trouble. Several Congress leaders are still facing charges in the Jain-hawala scandal and have not been finally exonerated by the courts.
Most of them have merely got a temporary reprieve in the hawala case and that could be held against them.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
