Cong meet today to choose candidates

The other members of the committee,including Madhusudan Mistry,Bhakta Charan Das,state Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi and Pramod Tiwari have been informed about the meeting’s schedule,which may be a day-long affair.

Sources said the discussion is expected to take place on the list of 60 constituencies where party leaders believe that they have strong chance of wimming and have least controversial aspirants to choose from.

However,Rita Joshi,denied knwing the agenda of the meeting and said it will become clear “only once we reach Delhi”.

Sources said a day after his appointment as screening committee chairman,Mohan Prakash’s office was flooded with leaders and workers from across the state,lobbying for party tickets and trying to hand him their resume. One leader,who was at AICC on Friday,said,“It seems that almost half of the ticket seekers from UP have come here with their CVs and photographs.”

In another significant development,AICC Secretary Jayadev Jena was made in charge of Uttar Pradesh. Jena,who was earlier attached with AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi,will be the third AICC secretary in charge of UP after Pravez Hashmi and Avinash Pande. Jena,who hails from Orissa,was AICC coordinator during Uttar Pradesh Congress organisational elections. Along with UP,he has also been given charge of Assam.

Speaking to The Indian Express from Delhi,Jena said: “It is a blessing from Soniaji who thought me right enough to be made in charge of her home state. I have worked in field during organisational elections in the state and I am thus aware of the functioning of the state unit.”

Sources said Digvijaya Singh had written to Congress president,requesting to shift Jena to Uttar Pradesh. Congressmen feel that keeping the upcoming Assembly elections in mind,Jena’s presence at the top would also ensure that there is a Scheduled Caste face to work in the state along with two existing secretaries who represent Brahmin and minority segments.