New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS) The Congress will soon start selecting its candidates for the Bihar assembly polls this year, and the party’s state unit is expected to submit its recommendations by Sep 5.

‘The state Congress unit is expected to send its recommendations for each seat by Sep 5. The screening committee is expected to meet after that,’ Congress general secretary B.K. Hariprasad told IANS.

The Congress is contesting elections to the 243-member Bihar assembly on its own. The elections are expected to take place October-November.

Hariprasad, who heads the screening committee, said party candidates will be announced after the notification of the poll process. He said efforts would made to declare party nominees at least a month before the polling day.

The screening committee will give its recommendations to the party’s central election committee, headed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, which will make the final selections.

Apart from Hariprasad, the screening committee includes union minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik, Rural Development Minister C.P. Joshi, Bihar Congress chief Mehboob Ali Kaiser and Congress legislative party leader Ashok Kumar Ram.

Hariprasad said that party chief Sonia Gandhi and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi are expected to address poll rallies in the state next month.

The Congress had earlier appointed observers for each district of the state to give an assessment of the party’s prospects on each seat.

-Indo-Asian News Service

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