Raipur, Sept 23: The ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh has begun the process of selecting names of candidates for the year-end assembly poll but said that the selection criteria would be the winability of the candidates. After the first-ever meeting of Chhattisgarh Election Committee of the state PCC, Chief Minister Ajit Jogi told reporters late last night that all District Congress Committees (DCCs) have been asked to recommend names of the aspirants but four DCCs were yet to send these.

Since Raipur rural, Durg rural and urban and Dhamtari DCCs have not yet sent their names, the last date of sending names by DCCs has been extended to September 28, Jogi said. Electoral merit is the base for selecting candidates for the 90-member house he said adding that Congress president Sonia Gandhi would take the final decision on the candidates.

Jogi claimed there was a strong wave in favour of Congress in the state and the ruling party would return to power with a landslide majority.

Bureau Report