The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee’s Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) met here on Monday and listed names of 44 probable MLA candidates for the 2019 elections in the first phase.
Though the names were not made public, PCC president Niranjan Patnaik said the candidates have been selected keeping in view their winning prospects.
“We had announced to finalise names of probable candidates by August-end. We listed up 44 probable MLA candidates today. In coming days, more candidates will be selected. The selections are being made on consideration of their winning prospects,” said Patnaik.
He said emphasis has been given to youth leaders.
The list of probable candidates would be sent to the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) and then to All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Rahul Gandhi for final approval.
Meanwhile, Koraput MLA Krushna Chandra Sagaria, who was appointed as the PCC general secretary two days back, resigned from the post expressing displeasure over Sunday’s reshuffle among the party’s frontal bodies’ functionaries.
“I was removed from the Congress SC cell chairman post and appointed as a general secretary of the PCC. Nobody in the party discussed with me before taking the decision. I feel a conspiracy has been hatched against me. Hence, I resigned from the general secretary post,” Sagaria told The Pioneer.