The Congress Odisha unit has decided to give priority to ‘new faces’ and the ‘winnability’ factor while selecting party candidates for the 2019 general elections.
Speaking to reporters before commencement of the party’s first Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) meeting at the Congress Bhawan here on Monday, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik said, “Discussions are being held to finalise the criteria for selection of candidates and distribution of tickets.” “Winnability and new faces will be our preference while selecting the candidates,” Patnaik said. He also said that all the sitting MlAs of the party would be candidates to re-seek election. It was decided at the meeting that party’s candidates who had lost deposits in the last general election would not be provided with tickets, reports said.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Odisha Jitendra Singh had on Sunday announced that the OPCC would announce the names of at least 50 candidates for the Assembly elections within a period of 15 days. The names of the candidates would be announced in the first week of September, he had said.