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....