New Delhi, 08-03-2024: The suspense surrounding former Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s candidacy from Wayanad for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections has been put to rest, as the party unveils its first list of candidates for the Parliamentary polls. The Congress has announced a list comprising 39 candidates, among whom 17 are sitting MPs.
Speculation had been rife regarding Gandhi’s potential candidature from Wayanad, especially after suggestions from Left parties urging him not to contest from the seat, fearing it would send the wrong message about the INDIA alliance’s stance against the RSS-BJP. The Left Front has nominated Annie Raja, a senior leader of the CPI, as its candidate for the Wayanad constituency.
Simultaneously, there is growing anticipation surrounding Gandhi’s potential candidacy from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. Party leaders cite the warm reception Gandhi received during his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Amethi, a constituency long considered a stronghold of the Gandhi family. In the 2019 elections, Gandhi contested from both Amethi and Wayanad, ultimately losing to BJP’s Smriti Irani in the UP seat.
The list includes 16 seats in Kerala, with notable placements such as K.C. Venugopal, AICC general secretary (Organisation), who will contest from Alappuzha, the sole seat the Congress lost in the state during the previous Lok Sabha elections. Kerala unit leaders had demanded Venugopal’s return to the constituency to reclaim it. Vadakara MP K. Muralidharan has been moved to Thrissur, replacing T.N. Prathapan, the only sitting MP dropped from the Kerala list. Shafi Parambil is the party’s candidate from Vadakara, while Shashi Tharoor will contest from Thiruvananthapuram once again.
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel will contest from the Rajnandgaon seat in his home state, while his party colleague Tamradhwaj Sahu will contest from Mahasamund. These nominations signal the Congress’s intent to field senior leaders in what it perceives as a crucial electoral battle.
There is also speculation surrounding Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge’s potential candidacy from Gulbarga in Karnataka. This speculation arises amidst the party’s belief that senior leaders’ participation in the Lok Sabha elections could maximize their chances of winning seats.
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