candidatesNew Delhi, Oct 13 (PTI) The Congress today set up athree-member screening committee headed by former MP JitendraSingh to zero down on candidates for the upcoming HimachalPradesh Assembly election.
The panel will screen the Congress candidates for all 68assembly constituencies, before their names are approved andrecommended by the state election committee for the final nodfrom the party leadership.
"Congress President Sonia Gandhi has approved theScreening Committee for the forthcoming Himachal PradeshAssembly election, with former MP Jitendra Singh as itschairman and Vijay Inder Singla and Gaurav Gogoi as itsmembers," Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said ina statement.
The Election Commission had yesterday declared the datesfor the Assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh which will beheld in a single phase on November 9 and the results will bedeclared on December 18.
The process of filing nominations would begin on October16 with the issue of notification and the candidates can filetheir papers till October 23.
The ruling Congress is locked in an intense battle in thehill state with the BJP, which is preparing to win back powerfrom its traditional arch-rival.
The Congress is facing anti-incumbency but is out tocapture power in the state again.
The party in power has never been re-elected by thestate's electorate.
The Congress has already announced to go into the pollsunder the leadership of chief minister Virbhadra Singh.
Singh has been miffed with the party high command for notchanging PCC chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, saying he cannotwork with him.
The party leadership has, however, not acceded to hisdemand and has tried to pacify Singh. PTI SKC ASKASK.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.