Over 150 seek Congress tickets for 12 Surat seats

SURAT: Over 150 candidates have shown interest in contesting the upcoming assembly elections in the state from city's 12 seats on Congress tickets.
Congress observers Siddharth Patel and Pravin Rastrapa, who were in the city for a preliminary assessment ahead of the elections, were surprised by the enthusiasm of the party workers.
Patel told TOI "This is a reflection of the changing mood of people.On seats where Congress had lost by margins of 30,000 votes, people are coming in large numbers seeking party tickets."
The Congress observers said they are seeing for the first time in the past 20 years among party cadres an optimism of doing well in the elections.
They met ticket aspirants from Choryasi, Udhna, Majura, Limbayat, Katargam, Varacha, Kamrej, Karanj, Olpad, Surat North, Surat West and Surat East on Saturday and Sunday.
"We are gathering information about assembly segments and our party's strength in different areas. Once we complete identifying our strong areas, we will begin the exercise of selection of candidates," said Patel.
City unit Congress president Ashok Jirawala said, "As promised we will come out with our candidates' names early and would fight to win the elections."
Patel said, "In the assembly segments where local party leadership had done some work, consensus has already been arrived at on candidates."
Among the people, who have staked their claims for tickets include Babu Rayka, Manu Patel, some present and past councillors.