Congress targeting at least 75 out of 90 seats in Chhattisgarh: Selja

The ruling Congress is aiming to win at least 75 of the 90 seats in the upcoming assembly elections in Chhattisgarh, the party's in-charge of the state Kumari Selja said here on Saturday.

Talking to reporters after meetings of the political affairs committee of the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC) and party's Lok Sabha observers in the state, Selja said the first list of party candidates would be released in the first week of September. Party leader Rahul Gandhi will address a convention of youths in Raipur on September 2 and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will attend an event in the state's Rajnandgaon district on September 8, she informed.

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, Ajay Maken who is the head of the party's screening committee for Chhattisgarh polls, and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel were present at the two meetings.

"We are confident that we will win at least 75 seats. The planning commission (NITI Aayog) in its report has admitted that 40 lakh people in Chhattisgarh have come out of poverty. You can imagine how the state government has taken care of the needy. Our government has worked for the uplift of every section. Our target is to win at least 75 seats," Selja said.

About the ticket distribution process, she said the applications of ticket aspirants will be accepted at the Block Congress Committee (BCC) level till August 22, and the BCC will convene its meeting on August 24.

The BCC will forward selected names to the District Congress Committee (DCC) by August 26. The DCC after concluding its meeting on August 28-29, sent its proposal to the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) by August 31.

Subsequently, the state election committee will hold a meeting on September 3 and the next day, the screening committee meeting will be held following which the recommendations will be sent to the central election committee, she said.

''Our effort will be to release the first list of candidates in the first week of September after the CEC meeting,'' Selja said.

Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to participate in the Yuva Mitan Sammelan in Raipur city on September 2 while Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge will attend an event in Rajnandgaon district on September 8, she said.