Sealing of candidates list; Assam Congmen caught unawares

NEW DELHI, April 10: The unprecedented act of sealing of all the lists of candidates by the AICC Central Election Observer, Jagdish Tytler, has stumped the Assam Congressmen. The sealed documents are expected to be released at the Central Screening Committee scheduled to get under way here tomorrow. When the Central Election Observer at the end of the State Election Committee (SEC) meeting asked all the members to leave behind their documents pertaining to the selection process he caught the members of the committee unawares. The list is a short-listed roll of candidates, which is normally furnished by the Pradesh Congress's representative in the Central Screening Committee (CEC) for finalisation. The two representatives in the CEC from Assam Congress were its president, Tarun Gogoi and Silvius Condpan. 'Under normal circumstances we prepare a brief note on the candidates short-listed citing the reasons for their selection for the convenience of the CEC members. But now all the sealed documents would be opened by the observer at the meeting,' a senior member of the SEC told this newspaper. The convention is that the Central Election Observer places his observations separately to the SEC at the time of the screening, he said. However, Tytler's act has landed the SEC members in a spot as barring a few names here and there they do not remember the names of candidates short-listed as neither do they recall the brief notes they prepared. But Congress leaders are not complaining because it has come in handy to ward off all enquiries by aspirants as well as to quell the rising tide of disgruntled elements within the party. Sources said the list of candidates would be given a final shape within the next two days and then it would be tabled before the Central Election Committee (CEC), which is expected to be cleared the same day. The list is likely to be announced by April 14. Meanwhile, Gogoi said the possibility of forging an alliance with the CPI is remote and they are likely to go alone in the Assembly polls barring a few local seat understandings. The Congress, meanwhile, short-listed the candidates for 126 seats in the State.