JAIPUR, Aug. 19 -- With Rajasthan's municipal and panchayat elections nearing, the Congress has intensified preparations, with state Pradesh Congress Committee president Govind Singh Dotasra saying the party aims to allot about 60% of tickets to young candidates. Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, meanwhile, urged the leadership to keep recommendations by senior leaders out of the ticket-selection process, saying ground realities, organisational standing and winnability should determine candidate selection. Dotasra said a key meeting of Congress legislators, former assembly election candidates, organisational functionaries and senior leaders would be held in the next two to three days to formally launch the party's campaign for the municipal and panchayat elections. He said the party was gathering feedback from district-level leaders before finalising candidates. Consultations have been held with leaders from about 27-28 districts so far. The exercise, he said, was intended to identify candidates who were both "winnable and sustainable" - those capable of winning elections and working with the organisation over the long term. Gehlot made a strong pitch for a transparent, merit-based ticket distribution process, saying tickets should not be allotted solely because a senior leader had recommended a candidate. "Even if I recommend someone, the ticket should not be given merely on my recommendation," he said, adding that observers should have the freedom to assess local political conditions to select candidates. The former chief minister said the party should support genuine grassroots workers with a realistic chance of winning. He also advocated allocating more than 50% of tickets to young candidates, saying the experience of senior leaders should be combined with opportunities for the next generation. Gehlot expressed confidence that the Congress could secure a strong victory in the local elections if candidates were selected on the basis of ground realities. He also called on party leaders and workers to remain united during the campaign. Dotasra also launched a sharp attack on the BJP government, alleging that it had failed to match even 5% of the development work undertaken by the previous Congress government in its first two-and-a-half years in office. He alleged that corruption had risen under the BJP government and claimed that money was being sought for transfers. Targeting the education department, Dotasra alleged that separate "counters" had effectively been opened for transfers. He also claimed that about 400 transfers in the department were later cancelled. Gehlot said the government should instead focus on improving school infrastructure, providing better facilities for students and raising the quality of education. He said the education system was already facing several problems, and that attempts to restrict media access could raise questions about transparency and accountability. The BJP hit back at the Congress, with its chief spokesperson Ramlal Sharma telling HT, "The Congress party's rejection by the people has created unrest among its leaders, who are now busy undermining each other." Responding to Dotasara, Sharma said, "Dotasara needs to change his glasses. He appears frustrated. He is right in saying that the wrongdoings witnessed during the Congress government have not been repeated under the BJP, whether it was paper leaks or corruption in transfers. The irregularities that took place during Dotasara's tenure as education minister will be remembered as a dark chapter."...