Chandigarh, October 09, 2016: Punjab Congress has shortlisted 600 of the 1600 applications received from those aspiring for party tickets for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.
This was disclosed to the media here on Sunday by Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh, who said the remaining 1000 applications had been rejected on technical grounds, related to failure to meet the stringent eligibility conditions laid down by the party. All applications were subjected to a thorough check and only 600 were found to be in order after close scrutiny.
In most of these cases, the applications were found to be incomplete, while in some the applicants failed to provide contact details, as required, of two persons from the booths in their respective constituencies. The latter was aimed at gauging the strength and reach of the prospective candidates at the grassroots.
For the first time, the party has introduced a series of stringent conditions that all prospective candidates need to meet in order to be considered for final selection, said Captain Amarinder, asserting that credibility and winnability would be the only criteria for selection.
“We are taking all steps to ensure that no candidate is selected without a detailed background check. Corruption and dishonesty have no place in the Congress culture and we will not allow anyone to mar the party’s image,” said Captain Amarinder Singh.
A 4-member committee, headed by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Vice President Laal Singh, has been set up to screen those wanting to join the party in the run-up to the election. Given the huge rush of people wanting to join the Congress, including many from the Akali Dal and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the committee will undertake a meticulous screening of the background and profile of every applicant for membership, Captain Amarinder Singh added.