Congress has unleashed its first salvo of 39 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Out of these, 15 hail from the general category, while 24 represent SC, ST, OBC, and minority communities. The list features nominees for seats in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Telangana, and Tripura.
Thursday's Congress Central Election Committee meeting, chaired by Mallikarjun Kharge, sparked discussions over Lok Sabha seats from Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Sikkim, Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Lakshadweep. Following that, Friday saw the announcement of 39 candidates for more than 60 Lok Sabha seats in these 11 states and union territories. This list is studded with big names such as Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, and DK Suresh, brother of Karnataka's Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.
Key Players in Congress's First List
Rahul Gandhi:
Once again, Congress has fielded Rahul Gandhi from the Wayanad seat in Kerala. However, whether he will contest from his traditional Amethi seat remains a mystery. In the 2019 elections, Gandhi contested from both Wayanad and Amethi. Though he lost the Amethi seat, he secured a landslide victory in Wayanad with over 664,000 votes and a margin exceeding 400,000 votes.
Bhupesh Baghel:
Bhupesh Baghel, the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, is set to run from the Rajnandgaon seat in Chhattisgarh, considered a BJP stronghold. Since independence, the constituency has witnessed 17 elections, with the majority historically leaning towards Congress. However, post the state's formation in 2000, all but one by-election (held in 2007) have been won by the BJP.
DK Suresh:
DK Suresh, the younger sibling of Karnataka's Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, will recontest the Bangalore Rural seat. The sole Lok Sabha MP from Congress in Karnataka, Suresh began his political journey with a by-election win in 2013, succeeding in the general elections of 2014 and 2019 as well. In the latter, he defeated BJP's A. Narayana Gowda by a margin of over 200,000 votes.
KC Venugopal:
Congress has nominated KC Venugopal to represent the Alappuzha seat in Kerala. He's a seasoned politician who started his career with the student organization NSUI in the late '80s and made his first Lok Sabha bid at 28 from Kasargod, Kerala. Although he lost initially, he secured his first Lok Sabha win from Alappuzha in 2009 and is currently a Rajya Sabha MP from Rajasthan.
Shashi Tharoor:
Shashi Tharoor has been renominated for the Thiruvananthapuram seat in Kerala, a stronghold he has maintained since 2009. Born and educated abroad, Tharoor is well-known for his eloquence and lifestyle as much as his political activities. His engagement with politics began in his student days, and he was regarded as a contender for UN Secretary-General in 2006, serving 29 years with the UN. Tharoor has held ministerial posts in the Manmohan Singh government and was reinducted into the cabinet in 2012 as Minister of State for Human Resource Development.
Geetha Shivarajkumar:
Geetha Shivarajkumar, daughter of former CM Bangarappa and wife of Kannada actor Shivarajkumar, has been fielded from the Shimoga constituency. Despite a previous defeat in 2014 running on a JD(S) ticket, she recently joined Congress after departing JD(S) last year.
