Assembly polls: Cong to hold first meeting of Punjab screening committee today

Ahead of the assembly elections in Punjab, the Congress will hold the first meeting of its screening committee for the state here on Tuesday. Top Congress leaders of the state will attend the panel’s meeting which will be chaired by AICC general secretary Ajay Maken.

The panel will screen the candidates for the upcoming Punjab assembly polls and recommend names to the Congress’ central election committee, which is chaired by party chief Sonia Gandhi.

Ahead of the meeting, some senior Punjab ministers, including Sukhjinder Randhawa, Raja Warring and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, and state Congress general secretary Pargat Singh met AICC general secretary organisation K C Venugopal here.

Sources said the ministers are learnt to have discussed the party’s strategy for the upcoming polls.

The Congress screening committee for Punjab has Chandan Yadav and Krishna Allavaru as members, with Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, AICC in-charge for Punjab Harish Choudhary, state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu as ex-officio members, besides chairman of the election campaign committee for the state, Sunil Jakhar.

All AICC secretaries for Punjab are also members of the panel.