White Caps in the Ring

Pradesh Congress Committee has released the list of its candidates for almost all Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies for the next election. The list itself contains few surprises. Surprising may have been the timing and manner of release. No other state Congress has been so early in the field. More, the list is yet to receive the approval of the Central Parliamentary Board of the party. Just what lies behind the expedition and the expediency can only be guessed. It may be that Atulya Ghosh, who has changed his constituency from Asansol to Ban- kura for reasons which again can only be conjectured, got into the act first to forestall the parties in opposition; it may be that he wants his candidates to get down to electioneering right now; it may be that he has released the names to the Press early to make it difficult and embarrassing for the Congress Parliamentary Board to make changes in his list. None of these possible explanations confirms the confidence in victory expressed so eloquently by Praiulla Sen and Atulya Ghosh.