THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Going by the recommendations of the V D Satheesan panel, KPCC president V M Sudheeran on Saturday issued wide-ranging guidelines through a circular for the selection of the Congress nominees for the three-tier panchayat elections, slated to be held in November. Party ward committees have been empowered to come up with the choice of candidates, with a cardinal principle of winnability in the polls. The KPCC will also come out with a common calendar for fulfilling the candidates’ selection exercise as per the norms and deadline.
The circular calls for a transparent approach in the selection of candidates with public acceptance and winnability, good character and loyalty to the party. New faces and youth should be given more representation in the candidates’ list. A notable directive is that independent candidates who can be loyal and committed to the party shall be fielded in the polls, but without dashing the prospects of eligible and winnable candidates from the party rolls. Candidature will be strictly denied to those who are involved in non-political criminal cases and involved in corruption.
In view of the mandatory 50 per cent reservation for women contestants, women will be avoided from being put up in general wards. Priority should be given to Mahila Congress and party workers in the women’s reservation wards. The practice of spouses contesting in the same ward by turn should be discouraged.
The entire responsibility for the selection of candidates will rest with the sub-panel which clears the list. If it is found later that any defeat suffered by the party nominee was owing to the failure in candidates’ selection, the responsible sub-committee will face action.
Those who have undergone disciplinary action from the party on various counts, including contesting the polls as rebels and elected representatives who had defied the party whip during 2010-Rs 15 should not be given tickets, the circular underscores.
Lobbying to be scanned vigilantly
The mandalam sub-committees will assess the recommendations from the wards. Disputes on the nominees will be referred from the lower committees to niyojakamandalam and later district sub-committees. Sub-committees for corporation and municipalities will also be formed. District sub-committees will refer issues which need the intervention of the KPCC, and a state-level sub-committee will address it.