AICC Odisha in-charge Jitendra Singh on Thursday said the party’s ‘one-ticket-one-family’ policy would be strictly followed during allotment of tickets for the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the State.
Singh told reporters, “Many leaders seek tickets for more than one member of their families. This time, the party has decided that only one ticket will be given to one of a family. A party leader can pass on the ticket to his or her son or daughter in case he or she decides not to contest.”
He reiterated that the party has decided to give priority to youths, women and fresh candidates with more chances of winning.
“Youths of Odisha are more inclined towards politics. Hence, the Congress has decided to have over 50-per cent representation of youths,” Singh said.
On Wednesday, the party’s Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) finalised the candidates’ lists for all 147 Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats of the State and sent it to the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) for approval. The final list would be published after scrutiny and approval by AICC president Rahul Gandhi.
Meanwhile, PCC Media Cell chief Satya Prakash Nayak on Thursday said the names of Congress leaders being published as MLA and MP candidates in various social media, newspapers and television channels are not true at all.
Notably, Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Jeypore in Koraput district on Friday and address a public meeting there. He would also hold an interaction with a group of women there coinciding with the International Women’s Day.