Congress for 'one family, one ticket' policy
Debabrata Mohapatra | TNN | Mar 8, 2019, 10:58 IST
Picture for representational purpose only.BHUBANESWAR: Dealing a blow to those who were hoping to see their family members join electoral politics, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) Odisha in-charge, Jitendra Singh said the party will stick to the policy of one family getting one ticket.
His remark came a day after the Congress state unit sent a list of probable candidates for the forthcoming polls to 147 assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state to the party high command for approval.
In the past, some leaders sought two to three tickets for their family members. "We are not going to entertain the practice this time," Singh told journalists here a day before party president Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to Koraput district.
"We have decided that only one ticket will be given to one family. The onus remains on the candidate whether he or she will contest the election or recommend the name of his/her son or daughter," Singh said.
His statement assumed significance as a number of Congress leaders, including party state president Niranjan Patnaik and his son have reportedly applied for party tickets. Similarly, former state Congress president Jayadev Jena and his son, leader of opposition Narasingha Mishra and his son, former chief minister Hemananda Biswal and his daughter, and former Union minister Bhakta Das and his son are reportedly lobbying for tickets.
While Patnaik refused to comment on the one family, one ticket policy, Jena said he would abide by the party's decision. "If the party wants me to contest the election, my son will not fight the polls. If the party wants my son, then I will not grumble. We are disciplined leaders of the party," said Jena, who and his son Sangram had unsuccessfully contested from Anandapur (SC) assembly and Bhadrak Lok Sabha seats, in 2014.
In a related development, Patnaik on Thursday dismissed the names of aspiring candidates doing the rounds on social media. "We have not released any names to the media as the tentative list has been sent to the Congress central election committee for approval. The names appearing on social media are false," Patnaik said.
His remark came a day after the Congress state unit sent a list of probable candidates for the forthcoming polls to 147 assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state to the party high command for approval.
In the past, some leaders sought two to three tickets for their family members. "We are not going to entertain the practice this time," Singh told journalists here a day before party president Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to Koraput district.
"We have decided that only one ticket will be given to one family. The onus remains on the candidate whether he or she will contest the election or recommend the name of his/her son or daughter," Singh said.
His statement assumed significance as a number of Congress leaders, including party state president Niranjan Patnaik and his son have reportedly applied for party tickets. Similarly, former state Congress president Jayadev Jena and his son, leader of opposition Narasingha Mishra and his son, former chief minister Hemananda Biswal and his daughter, and former Union minister Bhakta Das and his son are reportedly lobbying for tickets.
While Patnaik refused to comment on the one family, one ticket policy, Jena said he would abide by the party's decision. "If the party wants me to contest the election, my son will not fight the polls. If the party wants my son, then I will not grumble. We are disciplined leaders of the party," said Jena, who and his son Sangram had unsuccessfully contested from Anandapur (SC) assembly and Bhadrak Lok Sabha seats, in 2014.
In a related development, Patnaik on Thursday dismissed the names of aspiring candidates doing the rounds on social media. "We have not released any names to the media as the tentative list has been sent to the Congress central election committee for approval. The names appearing on social media are false," Patnaik said.
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