Congress has declared the nominees for 9 seats in Andhra Pradesh and 2 in Jharkhand. For the Godda seat in Jharkhand, Congress has unveiled a strategic candidate change, now placing their bet on Pradeep Yadav instead of Dipika Pandey.
Previously, the electoral contest in Godda was anticipated between BJP's Nishikant Dubey and MLA Dipika Pandey Singh; however, following a tactical switch by the Congress, the battle has shifted to be between Nishikant Dubey and Pradeep Yadav.
Pradeep Yadav ran in the last parliamentary elections for the Godda seat under the JVM ticket. Following the merger of JVM into BJP, Yadav switched allegiance to Congress. He began his political career as a student leader and was a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. In 2007, he left the BJP and joined the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) and is also the current MLA for Poreyahat.
Source: aajtak
Pradeep Yadav has held ministerial roles twice in the state cabinet, serving as the Minister for Rural Development under then Chief Minister Babulal Marandi. Earlier, he represented the Godda seat in the 13th Lok Sabha as a member of the BJP. While Congress has pitched Yashaswini Sahay for Ranchi, she will face off directly against BJP's Sanjay Seth. Voting in Jharkhand, which has 14 Lok Sabha seats, will occur in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh phases.
Importantly, prior to this latest amendment, Congress had initially selected Dipika Pandey Singh for the Godda seat, sparking unrest among Pradeep Yadav's supporters. Following this, his supporters dramatically protested at the Congress office, even burning effigies of the state in-charge and Jharkhand in-charge. Protesters also chanted slogans such as 'Dipika Pandey go back'.
Congress has also announced candidates for 9 seats in Andhra Pradesh. The party has chosen Dr. Pedda Parameswararao for Srikakulam, Bobbili Srinu for Vizianagaram, Janga Gautam for Amalapuram, Golu Krishna for Machilipatnam, Valluru Bhargav for Vijayawada, Ida Sudhakar Reddy for Ongole, Jangiti Laxmi Narasimha Yadav for Nandyal, Mallikarjun Vajjala for Anantapur, and B.E. Samad Shaheen for Hindupur.
