2024 Elections: Odisha Congress May Announce First List Of 70 Candidates By March 1

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Congress is likely to release its first list of 70 candidates for ensuing Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state by March 1, sources said on Monday.

The Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) meeting is currently being held here to discuss the aspirants, who have applied through Pragaman app, and is being attended by 23 members. “The procedure for distribution of tickets will begin with elaborate discussion on the applications received for both Lok Sabha and Assembly seats. The list prepared will then be taken to the Screening Committee in Delhi. The final decision will be taken by All India Congress Committee,” OPCC president Sarat Pattanayak told mediapersons ahead of the meeting.

Earlier this month, All India Congress Committee Odisha in-charge Ajoy Kumar had launched a new initiative, ‘Project Pragaman’ for transparent ticket distribution to candidates. The ticket aspirants were allowed to apply through the online portal from February 4 to February 11. “From now onwards, only honest and dedicated Congress workers will get the chance to secure a ticket without any references and family lineage,” he had added.

Pattanayak had earlier informed that the state unit has received online applications from more than 3,300 people. The applicants included more than 2,500 aspirants for 147 assembly seats and 670 seekers for 21 Lok Sabha tickets.

In the 2019 elections, Congress had won only nine of the 147 assembly seats and one of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in the state.