15 Nov 2002

CONG, BJP SUFFER CANDIDATES' SELECTION PANG

From Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: After three days of bluff that the partial list of the Congress candidates for the Gujarat Assembly elections is ready and saying that it will be released "tomorrow" that never came, it was sought to be covered up with a "caveat" on Friday tha release date cannot be disclosed.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhavi, however, tried to perpetrate the lie that the Central Election Committee (CEC) chaired by Congress President Sonia Gandhi had already cleared the first set of names at its meeting on Tuesday.

At the AICC Press briefing, Singhavi said: "Substantial part of the Gujarat list close to 80 is final. Other names are also in advance stage of finalisation. The CEC is holding another sitting on Saturday for the purpose."

He, however, hastened to add, what he described as a "caveat," that the CEC would certainly clear rest of the names on Saturday but he cannot disclose when the list will be made public. "It is a matter of political strategy not to announce time and place for release of the list," he said.

Everyone in the Congress knows that it is almost impossible to keep the list secret once finalised as those involved in the selection are bound to sound out own men getting or not getting the ticket ahead of the official announcement and hence Singhavi's claim that the list will be ready on Saturday is accepted by the aspirants camping here with a pinch of salt.

Singhavi's remarks have also led to a speculation that the leadership may clear the list on Saturday or in the next few days but the list would be kept a closely guarded secret and given to Gujarat PCC chief Shankarsinh Vaghela to release it in Ahmedabad just a day or two before close of nominations on November 25 ensuring that the candidates get the authorisation well in time for filing before the returning officers for the party symbol.

Intense infight among the Central leaders in view of the lobbying by various senior party leaders from Gujarat wanting a bigger share for own candidates has held up the selection but nobody will officially admit that selectors are themselves divided and fighting among themselves.

However, since AICC general secretary Kamal Nath, aided by Vaghela, had jumped the gun Tuesday night after the CEC meeting to tell the waiting reporters that 75 names have been finalised and so that farce has been kept all these days.

Political expediency cited by Singhavi is the latest ploy adopted by the party to explain delay in release of the partial list of those supposed to have been already selected.

The party sources said that in any case it is going to be a straight fight between the Congress and the BJP and hence each would like to know who are the candidates of the rival party in which constituencies before opening own card.

Sonia Gandhi initially wanted to release the list at least three, four days ahead of filing of nominations but she appears to have ultimately yielded to the party's senior leaders pointing out that the Congress tradition is not to release the list early as it may not only give advantage to the rival parties but those denied the ticket may also jump into the fray from other parties or as independents.

The BJP is holding its Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting only on Monday and that has also compelled the Congress not to go public with own list even if finalised and to wait for the BJP to release its list first.

Since the BJP leadership is still fumbling in resolving the fight between Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his predecessor Keshubhai Patel, even the BJP list may be delayed as both will compete intensely for getting the ticket for own supporters.

Added to this is the reported refusal of Keshubhai to let his son be a candidate from the constituency he represented in the Assembly so far as he would like to contest himself and if he should not since he is already a Rajya Sabha member and then he is insisting that Modi should also not contest as either can enter the House later through a byelection.

Keshubhai's shrewed gameplan is quite clear. Despite Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani and BJP President M Venkaiah Naidu declaring Modi as the chief ministerial candidate, Keshubhai wants to perpetuate his stand made public earlier that the chief minister will be decided only after the elections by the BJP MLAs. END