Mumbai: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday approved tickets for the upcoming Council elections to Sharad Ranpise and Dr Wajahat Mirza Athar. However, deputy chairman in the House Manikrao Thakare, did not receive a ticket as it is being said that party will ask him to contest Assembly elections from his original seat, Darvha in Yavatmal district.   The election will take place on July 16 in Nagpur for 11 seats.

Congress’ current three members Sharad Ranpise who is party’s leader in the House, Sanjay Dutt and Mr Thakare will retire on July 26. Party has given tickets to two candidates where it repeated Mr Ranpise. Another candidate Dr Mirza is party's Yavatmal district president. Mr Thakare also comes from Yavatmal.

While giving these two tickets, Congress tried for Dalit plus Muslim combination.

Mr Ranpise is a salit, whereas, Dr Mirza is a Muslim. Both tickets are aimed to consolidate party’s vote bank ahead of the general and Assembly
elections.

As Dr Mirza’s name is a surprise choice of Congress president, it is also being said that his political patron and Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Ghulam Nabi Azad played an important role to get him a ticket.