New Delhi/Patna: The Congress Central Election Committee met in Delhi on Friday to screen candidates for each seat, finalising a list of 35 names. These candidates will be fielded only if the seats are allocated to Congress under the seat-sharing agreement within the opposition India Alliance.
Screening for the remaining seats is still ongoing, and party leaders said a final decision will be taken after the next meeting scheduled for September 24.
The deliberations followed Thursday’s meeting of the State Election Committee in Patna, where members unanimously agreed to authorise the party high command to take the final call on candidate selection. The discussions at Sadakat Ashram lasted four hours, with members voicing their views on the process before endorsing the resolution to leave the decision to Delhi.
Party insiders noted that since the seat allocation within the Grand Alliance has not yet been finalised, most members preferred that the high command retain control of the final candidate list.
The Patna meeting also saw moments of speculation when former state president Akhilesh Singh and former legislative party leader Ajit Sharma left midway. Akhilesh later clarified that he had prior commitments in Delhi, while Sharma said he needed to travel to Bhagalpur for a pre-scheduled programme.
Meanwhile, the participation of Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan, popularly known as Pappu Yadav, in the meeting drew attention, sparking discussion over his growing involvement in the party’s electoral planning.
