Even after two days discussion, the Congress leadership was able to decide single candidates for only eight seats of Bastar which would go to polls on November 11.
Screening committee chairman C P Joshi’s queries regarding the candidates reportedly left the Pradesh Congress Committee President Charandas Mahant and Congress legislature party leader Ravindra Choubey dumb found.
Notably, meeting of Congress poll screening committee was held in New Delhi on October 5 and 6 which was attended by Mahant and Choubey among others.
In the meeting reportedly all the 18 seats going to polls in the first phase was discussed but only 8 names announced, Sakni Chandraiya from Bijapur, Devhuti Karma from Dantewada, Kawasi lakhma from Konta, lakheshwar Baghel from Bastar, Phulo Devi Netam from Keshkal Anturam Kashyap from Chitrakote, Manturam Pawar from Antagarh and Mohan Markam from Kondagaon was finalised to be sent to the central committee for final approval. Sources close to Mahant however claimed that candidates for all the 18 seats of the first phase have been finalised.
Now, the next meeting of the screening committee is scheduled on October 10 or 11 in which the rest of the seats would be discussed. There was every likelihood that on October 10 the party would declare is first list of candidates.
According to sources, Mahant and Choubey in consultation of other senior leaders had finalised all the candidates with single name panel but as soon as they put up the list before Joshi, he asked the duo to prove the winning potential of the candidates putting both Mahant and Choubey in a tight spot.
Notably, the party high command has got conducted surveys by three different agencies and Joshi reportedly put the outcome of those surveys which showed many candidates forwarded by CGPCC as weak.