IMPHAL, January 3: MPCC president Gaikhangam along with the state Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and AICC election observer to the state Luizinho Faleiro has today left Imphal for New Delhi carrying the party’s recommended list of aspirant candidates who have applied for Congress tickets for the ensuing election in the state.
According to a party insider, the state party leaders will attend a meeting of the election committee of AICC on January 4 at New Delhi and recommend their list of approved candidates for party tickets.
Further according to the party insider, the meeting will be chaired by Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and will also be attended by Union minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Ajay Makken.
The meeting will deliberate on the list of candidates made by the state Congress team and make recommendation of the approved candidates.
However the final approval will be given by AICC president Sonia Gadhi tomorrow itself, the party insider added.
The final list could be announced on January 5, the source added.
Meanwhile, it may be added that the MPCC had conducted a meeting of its election committee attended by the AICC election observer to the state Luizinho Faleiro, MPCC president Gaikhangam and CM O Ibobi Singh at Congress Bhavan Imphal yesterday.
During the said meeting the committee had examined and deliberated upon the list of aspiring candidates who have applied for party ticket.
The committee had recommended its candidates for final approval from the Congress high command.
Meanwhile, according to a party insider, there are 167 intending candidates including sitting MLAs and ministers from the party’s fold who are aspiring to contest the election on a Congress ticket.
The party has also received written applications from 14 aspiring candidates for party tickets including from some sitting MLAs of the opposition parties, the source added.
The party insider further informed that there is a great probability of some MLAs from the opposition parties who are aspiring for Congress tickets to get the ticket.
Meanwhile it may be added that the state election officer under the instruction of the ECI had announced yesterday that intending candidates can file their nominations starting January 6.