The Congress party amplifies strategizing for the imminent Lok Sabha elections with Thursday's meeting of the Central Election Committee (CEC), sealing the deal for 40 candidates. Rahul Gandhi is set to contest from Kerala’s Wayanad seat once again, his candidacy garnering unanimous consent. However, the suspense continues over whether Rahul will run from his traditional stronghold Amethi. Notably, the race for election candidates features the name of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge's son-in-law. Party eyes are also on Raebareli.
Under the presidency of Mallikarjun Kharge, the CEC's meeting reviewed 60 Lok Sabha seats across eleven states and union territories, including Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Sikkim, Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Lakshadweep. Sources suggest Congress General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal is also on the candidates' list.
'Congress to release the first list of candidates today'
Kerala’s screening committee has proposed Rahul Gandhi for the Wayanad seat, indicating a strong possibility that he will be contesting from there. Yet, it remains to be clarified whether Rahul Gandhi will also stand from Amethi. VD Satheesan, leader of the Congress legislative party, suggests that the party will contest from 16 seats in Kerala, with allies vying for another four. CEC has made up its mind on the candidates for these 16 seats, with the AICC set to announce names today.
'Continued suspense over Priyanka Gandhi's political stride'
Speculation persists around Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's electoral move. Sources within the party hint at the possibility of her contesting from Raebareli, a seat formerly held by Sonia Gandhi who has since been elected to the Rajya Sabha. The seats of Amethi and Raebareli are considered bastions of the Gandhi family. Local leaders in Congress advocate for a member of the Gandhi family to run for these constituencies. Rahul Gandhi faced defeat at Amethi in 2019, yet triumphed in Wayanad. Previously, Rahul represented Amethi as a Member of Parliament for three terms.
'Bhupesh Baghel gears up for the general election'
There is a likelihood that Shashi Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, will once again represent his seat. Ex-Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel could contest from Rajnandgaon, Tamradhwaj Sahu from Durg-Mahasamund, Jyotsna Mahant from Korba, and Shiv Deharia from Janjgir-Champa. Chhattisgarh’s former Deputy Chief Minister TS Singh Deo will not be running in the election.
'Kharge’s son-in-law taking the lead in Karnataka race'
Discussions are ongoing for 4-5 seats in Karnataka where consensus has yet to be reached, awaiting the top leadership's final decision. According to sources, there has been no debate over the Gulbarga seat traditionally held by Congress. News indicates that Mallikarjun Kharge’s (81 years old) son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani is leading the race for candidacy. Kharge himself has won the Lok Sabha election from here twice, although he faced defeat in 2019. He current serves as a Rajya Sabha member and has a 4-year tenure remaining. His son, Priyank Kharge, continuously victorious from the Chittapur Assembly seat in Kalburgi district for three terms, holds a cabinet position in the Karnataka government. If Doddamani receives the ticket, it would mark his political debut.
Multiple names deliberated for Delhi’s seats
Sources reveal that the Delhi Congress has a long list of potential candidates for seven Lok Sabha seats under consideration. The high command has instructed the Delhi unit to shortlist some names and submit them for final approval. The names of JP Agarwal, Sandeep Dikshit, and Alka Lamba were discussed for the Chandni Chowk seat. Arvinder Singh Lovely and Anil Chaudhary were suggested for North East Delhi, while Raj Kumar Chauhan and Udit Raj are being mulled over for North West Delhi.
'Further discussions to ensue on Delhi candidates'
As per AICC in-charge for Delhi, Deepak Babaria, preliminary discussions have taken place regarding Delhi’s candidates, with further deliberation scheduled for March 11. Congress is contesting three seats in Delhi, while their ally AAP is running for the remaining four under the INDIA block.
'States submit lists of potential names'
In the meantime, various state units of Congress have already convened their screening committees, forwarding lists of prospective candidates for their respective states. The Congress has yet to declare any candidates, in contrast to the BJP which released a list of 195 contenders for the Lok Sabha election last week.
