‘Youth, women will get preference in ’19 polls’

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik on Friday said the party would give preference to youth, women and new faces while selecting candidates for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the state next year.

“The OPCC will ensure that the tickets are distributed on the criteria of winnability, with preference to youth, women and new faces,” the OPCC president told reporters after a two-day consultation programme with district president.

During the two-day event, the party made strategies to reach out to Congress workers in every nook and corner of the state. Like the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has appointed one supervisor for every zilla parishad (ZP) zone in a block, the party has also decided to appoint one in-charge in every ZP zone.

Mr Patnaik said the OPCC had started surveying the winnability possibilities for claimants for party tickets and accordingly tickets will be distributed.