NEW DELHI: The Congress has called a Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting on Saturday, and the candidates for the Delhi Lok Sabha seats are likely to be finalised and announced, sources said.
According to sources, the Congress state unit has suggested former JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar’s name for one of three constituencies it will be fighting under the 3:4 seat-sharing agreement with the AAP. The national capital sends seven MPs, and currently, all are from the BJP.
Sources said the names of former MPs JP Aggarwal, Sandeep Dixit, and Udit Raj are also being suggested. The matter of finalising the candidate will be discussed at the CEC meeting. Deliberations will also be held for Lok Sabha candidates for Haryana and Punjab.
Sources said the Delhi-unit of the party has been demanding the announcement of the names as it allegedly preventing the party’s poll campaign from taking off fully.
According to the seat-sharing pact under the INDIA alliance, AAP is contesting the East, South, West, and New Delhi Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress will field its candidates on the North West, North East, and Chandni Chowk seats. The BJP has, meanwhile, fielded its respective candidates on all seven Parliamentary segments in the city, among whom Manoj Tiwari, the sitting North East Delhi BJP MP, is the sole candidate to have been retained.
Meanwhile, its INDIA bloc partner AAP recently launched its Lok Sabha election campaign in the national capital and other States it is contesting the elections.
Themed around the arrest of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the campaign ‘Jail ka jawab vote se’ (taking revenge by voting), the party’s is seeking the votes in the name of its national convenor Kejriwal and the development work being carried out in the city.
In the initial phase of the the campaign the party leaders are holding the door-to-door campaign in the four seats.
From the AAP ticket, Somnath Bharti will contest from New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, Mahabal Mishra from West Delhi, Kuldeep Kumar Monu from East Delhi and Sahi Ram Pehelwan from South Delhi.
Moreover, Sushil Gupta will contest from Kurukshetra which is the single seat from Haryana it will be contesting.
In alliance with AAP, Cong contesting on 3 seats
According to the seat-sharing pact under the INDIA alliance, AAP is contesting the East, South, West, and New Delhi Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress will field its candidates on the North West, North East, and Chandni Chowk seats. The BJP has fielded its respective candidates on all seven Parliamentary segments, among whom Manoj Tiwari, the sitting North East Delhi BJP MP, is the sole candidate to have been retained by the party.