With assembly polls in five states fast approaching, Congress ticket aspirants have decided to form pressure groups to prevent other parties’ rebel leaders from contesting on the 130-year-old party’s nomination. Armed with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s 2013 Jaipur speech, a number of young ticket aspirants have started lobbying for party ticket. In his first speech as party vice-president, Gandhi promised that he would address the issue of anomalies in ticket distribution. He also maintained that no person with a criminal background will be given party ticket. Former Punjab Congress chief, Partap Singh Bajwa, last week reminded the party of the Jaipur resolution that called for a three-year cooling period for new entrants.

Source: Hindustan Times November 12, 2016 20:10 UTC