In an apparent move to increase the number of aspirants for contesting the Assembly elections from the ticket of the ruling Congress, the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee on Thursday extended the last date for filling applications for the same to October 10.
Congress had earlier asked its leaders to formally apply for getting the party ticket to contest Assembly elections. HPCC had prepared a performa of application for the purpose and the party leaders were asked to lfil in performa if they wish to contest the elections on party ticket.
Coming as a disappointment to the party, Congress could only get 315 applications as the last date came to an end on Thursday. The number of applications is apparently much below the expectations of the senior party leaders. Party spokesperson Naresh Chauhan on Thursday said that they have decided to extend the date for filling for party ticket till Oct 10 as a number of leaders could not apply in time due to different reasons. He said in the first 5 days, around 315 applications had already reached the party office.
Sources said several cabinet ministers in the present government have already applied for contesting the elections. Dhani Ram Shandil, Sujan Singh Pathania, Kaul Singh Thakur, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sohan lal, former minister Chander Kumar, Ajay Mahajan, Yadvinder Goma, Sanjay Rattan, former speaker Gangu Ram Musafir, amongst others have apparently already filled their applications for contesting elections.
A lot of youth leaders have shown their keenness to contest elections on Congress ticket. Congress had started taking application on October 1. The performa prepared for applying for party ticket includes certain paragraphs that seem to be troubling the aspirants. Party has sought property details of the candidates and information on their criminal record in the performa.