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| Congress to field 'Mr Cleans' | | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Dec 9: As the Congress irons out its differences with the Peoples Democratic Party for winning the next major battle of assembly elections; efforts are on find new faces and relegate the aspirants with dented images to sidelines.
It is learnt that the exercise has begun within the Congress to identify potential candidates for various constituencies. Sources said that after discussions for the central leaders, the Chief Minister is looking for candidates with clean image and many sitting legislators may not be given the party tickets for upcoming elections.
The Congress had to beat dust last year when one its legislator Ghulam Ahmed Mir was embroiled in the infamous Srinagar sex scandal along with another pro-Congress independent legislator Raman Mattoo.
Though Ghulam Ahmed Mir, who wa selected to the Assembly in 2002, from Duroo constituency in Anantnag district, has not been discarded by the Congress, chances for getting the party ticket in the next election continue to be bleak. Sources in the PCC say that Mir is unlikely to be given the congress mandate in the next election because the party may invite wrath of the voters in other constituencies in the state. At the same time theCongress does not want to lose a volatile leader like Ghulam Ahmed Mir and indications are that Mr Mir will contest the next election as an Independent candidate. The Congress may field a weak candidate sothat Mr Mir was able to retain the Duroo seat in the Assembly. Prior to the surfacing of the sex scam Raman Mattoowas being wooed by the PDP and the Congress. Mattoo had won the 2002 poll from Habba Kadal constituency asan independent candidate after he was denied theticket by the National Conference. The PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed had been trying to get him in his party and Raman Mattoo was not averse to that because it was the Mufti who had inducted him in the council o fministers he headed between 2002 and 2005.After thesex scam both the Congress and the PDP prefer keeping Mr Mattoo at an arms length. However, sources close to him said that Mr Mattoo plans to contest the next election from Habba Kadal as an independent candidate. |
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