By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
DEHRADUN, 7 Mar: Many senior Congress leaders from Uttarakhand have expressed their inability to contest the coming Parliamentary Elections. In this regard, they have informed the Party High Command of their desire not to contest the elections. However, in the meeting of the screening committee held in Delhi, yesterday, chaired by chairman of the screening committee, Bhakta Charan Das and Selja Kumari, some of these names have still been included in the panel of 16 names that has been sent to the Party High Command for a final call on the candidates. It may be recalled that BJP has already declared 3 out of 5 candidates who have been repeated as the party candidates from Uttarakhand.
According to the sources, in all, 26 names were under consideration of the state screening committee of which 10 names have been eliminated and a panel of 16 names on the 5 seats has been made for final decision by the Central Election Committee of the Congress to be held in Delhi on Saturday. Sources said that some senior party leaders had expressed their desire not to contest the elections but their names have still been included. Sources added that maximum interest shown by the ticket aspirants is in respect of Haridwar from where the BJP is also yet to declare its candidate. Haridwar seat has a significant population of Muslims and Dalits and here the Congress thinks it can do better. Initially, there were 42 names based on a survey from the 5 seats before the state screening committee.
