State Mahila Cong president questions candidate selection
Debabrata Mohapatra | TNN | Mar 26, 2019, 04:08 ISTBhubaneswar: In what may leave the Congress leadership red-faced, the party’s Mahila wing president in Odisha Sumitra Jena on Monday questioned the selection procedure of some candidates. Jena alleged that a group of outsiders and influential persons, having no link with the Congress and party affairs, were calling the shots.
“My observation of selection of some candidates is that they have been selected by non-Congress leaders. I am disappointed the way candidates are being selected,” Jena told TOI. Jena refused to name the non-Congress persons, who allegedly interfered in the distribution of tickets.
Jena, who is a ticket aspirant from Bhadrak assembly constituency, said she has already drawn the attention of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) about poor representation of women in the first two lists of candidates. Only eight women have made it to the lists of candidates for eight of the 21 Lok Sabha and 91 of 147 assembly seats, announced so far by the Congress. She also expressed her displeasure over non-inclusion of any of the women leaders from Odisha in the party’s 40-member star campaigners list. The list of star campaigners contained names of the party’s national leaders like general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev, national spokesperson Ragini Nayak and actors Nagma and Vijayashanti. “We have many women leaders in Odisha, who deserve to be candidates and star campaigners. I am at a loss as to why our party’s women leaders are not being given an opportunity in Odisha, though our high command has been advocating for women empowerment,” Jena said.
Amid discontentment in different quarters over ticket distribution, the Congress dismissed allegations of foul play. “Tickets have been finalised on grounds of merit and winnability,” said Congress state president Niranjan Patnaik. Niranjan earlier said the party will field more women this time compared to 2014 elections.
The Congress had fielded women candidates only in eight out of 147 assembly and two out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2014.
“My observation of selection of some candidates is that they have been selected by non-Congress leaders. I am disappointed the way candidates are being selected,” Jena told TOI. Jena refused to name the non-Congress persons, who allegedly interfered in the distribution of tickets.
Jena, who is a ticket aspirant from Bhadrak assembly constituency, said she has already drawn the attention of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) about poor representation of women in the first two lists of candidates. Only eight women have made it to the lists of candidates for eight of the 21 Lok Sabha and 91 of 147 assembly seats, announced so far by the Congress. She also expressed her displeasure over non-inclusion of any of the women leaders from Odisha in the party’s 40-member star campaigners list. The list of star campaigners contained names of the party’s national leaders like general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev, national spokesperson Ragini Nayak and actors Nagma and Vijayashanti. “We have many women leaders in Odisha, who deserve to be candidates and star campaigners. I am at a loss as to why our party’s women leaders are not being given an opportunity in Odisha, though our high command has been advocating for women empowerment,” Jena said.
Amid discontentment in different quarters over ticket distribution, the Congress dismissed allegations of foul play. “Tickets have been finalised on grounds of merit and winnability,” said Congress state president Niranjan Patnaik. Niranjan earlier said the party will field more women this time compared to 2014 elections.
The Congress had fielded women candidates only in eight out of 147 assembly and two out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in 2014.
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