Hooda men dominate Cong Haryana list

NEW DELHI: Congress on Wednesday announced its first list of 68 candidates for the Haryana assembly elections. Prominent names include chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Garhi-Sampla-Kiloi ), finance minister Birender Singh (Uchana Kalan), forest and tourism minister Kiran Chaudhary (Tosham) and state Congress president Phool Chand Mullana (Mullana-reserved ). Former deputy chief minister Chander Mohan is notable absentee.

Ministers renominated include H S Chatha (Pehowa), Mange Ram Gupta (Jind), Birender Singh (Uchana Kalan), Kiran Chaudhary (Tosham), Savitri Jindal (Hisar).

Mr Hooda���s hold on the party and the central leadership���s faith in his ability to ensure a second term is apparent from this list. The party���s screening committee and the central election committee candidates can be broadly described as Hooda supporters . Sources said that senior leader Chaudhury Virender Singh and Union minister Selja Kumari have conveyed their objections on choice of candidates to the party leadership.

The party had decided to set aside 15% of 90 seats for women. In the first list of 68, women candidates have been fielded in 10 constituencies . It has given four seats to youth. There are 20 Jats, 10 Punjabi (including two Sikh), 10 Dalits, six Brahmins, four Banias, four Yadavs, four Muslims, three Gujjars, two Rajputs and one each from the Vishnoi , Kumhar, Saini, Kamboj communities in the first list.

Deputy speaker Azad Mohammed , who represented Ferozepur Jhirka, too is not in the list. The party has fielded Maman Khan from the seat.