In full election mode, Congress part on Friday announced a 34-member Election Committee for Punjab headed by the state party president Capt Amarinder Singh apparently balancing all factions in the state.
The names of candidates were recommended to the party high command by the state election committee for finalization by the central election committee.
Congress has also announced another 17-member manifesto committee chaired by former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal with Manpreet Singh Badal, the estranged nephew of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, who merged his outfit People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) with Congress sometime ago, as its co-chairman.
Manpreet would also head the four-member manifesto drafting committee.
“Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has approved the Punjab Pradesh Congress Election Committee, Manifesto Committee and Manifesto Drafting Committee for Punjab assembly elections 2017,” said AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi.
An all-important election panel includes Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader in Punjab Assembly Charanjit Singh Channi, state's campaign committee chief Ambika Soni, former ClP leader Sunil Jakhar and Bhattal, besides former state party chiefs Pratap Singh Bajwa, HS Hanspal, Shamsher Singh Dullo, Virender Kataria, and Mohinder Singh Kaypee.
The panel also includes Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee’s (PPCC) senior vice-president lal Singh and party MPs Ravneet Singh Bittu and Chaudhary Santokh Singh, besides former Union Ministers Preneet Kaur and Manish Tewari.
Indian Youth Congress president Raja Amarinder Singh Warring and presidents of state Youth Congress, Mahila Congress, NSUI and Seva Dal are also members of this committee. The Manifesto Committee is headed by Bhattal and co-chaired by Manpreet Badal, with many other members including MlA Om Prakash Soni.
Four-member Manifesto Drafting Committee, headed by Manpreet, will include senior leaders Amar Singh, Ashok Gupta and Dilbar Mohd Khan.