Panaji, Mar 12 (TOI): Congress' process to select candidates for the two Lok Sabha seats from Goa has entered the final stages and the candidates are expected to be announced by the end of this week, said Goa desk in-charge and AICC secretary A Chella Kumar.

The Congress screening committee met and discussed the names of the candidates for the North Goa and South Goa seats along with the candidates for the Mandrem, Mapusa and Shiroda bypolls.

"Within a week we will finish the process. The names have gone to the central election committee, headed by AICC president Rahul Gandhi, for approval," said Chella Kumar. He said that the names of the candidates for the bypolls would not be discussed by the CEC but would be announced simultaneously.

Congress working on consensus for candidate

Though Chella Kumar is tightlipped, party insiders said consensus was building on state Congress president Girish Chodankar as the party candidate for North Goa with Ramakant Khalap keeping him company. The party has also narrowed down on Francisco Sardinha and Clefato Coutinho in the South, party insiders said.

The Congress screening committee included senior congress leader KC Venugopal, Chella Kumar, Chodankar and opposition leader Chandrakant Kavlekar.

Meanwhile, even though the party has yet to announce the candidates for the three by elections in the state, North Goa district president Vijay Bhike announced the launch of his campaign for the Mapusa by elections. Former BJP leader and former industries minister Mahadev Naik is expected to get the Shiroda seat while former education minister Sangita Parab's son Sachin Parab could contest the Mandrem by polls.