CHANDIGARH: With three months left for the Haryana Assembly elections here, the Congress has devised a formula according to which the ticket aspirants will have to pay a non-refundable fee of Rs.10,000, if they wish to apply for a party ticket. Along with the application form, one has to deposit Rs.10,000 as fees. This amount is for general candidates, while for the women and SC ticket aspirants, the fee is Rs.2,500. Both Rs.10,000 and Rs.2, 500 are non-refundable, regardless of whether the aspirants gets a ticket or not. Otherwise, the money goes to the party coffers.
The Congress has asked the ticket aspirants to fill an application form, answering 17 direct questions.
Some of these questions are: “Have you ever been placed under suspension, or expelled from the party?. If yes, when, and why?. Have you been convicted during the last two or more years in any case? Details of such conviction? What will be your contribution towards the party, in case you are denied ticket, due to certain circumstances? Since when are you a member of the Congress party? Have you ever left the membership of the party? When and why? Have you ever been associated with any other political party or organisation before joining the Congress? If yes, then what are the reasons for leaving them?.”
Sources said all applicants, including senior leaders, ministers, and sitting MLAs, will have to follow the process of filling in their details in the form.
Sources in the party said that the ticket aspirants have to submit applications before July 20 as the party started the application process on July 5.
In 2009, 40 MLAs were elected on Congress ticket, which went up to 41, after Ratia by-election. After former Union Minister Venod Sharma and Bhiwani MP Dharambir left the Congress, the number of party legislators were reduced to 39 in the 90-member Haryana Assembly.
“The Congress will focus on youth while allocating tickets for the Assembly polls in Haryana,” said party leader Shakeel Ahmed.