No names from Odisha in Congress’ first candidate list
BHUBANESWAR: The first list of 39 candidates announced by Congress on Friday has no names from Odisha in it.
Sources said a decision on Odisha has been deferred because of the fluid situation in the wake of a possible alliance between the BJD and BJP. The party is keeping a watch on the evolving political scenario in the state before taking a decision on the candidates. It expects an inflow of prominent BJD and BJP leaders who may quit their parties on losing their tickets due to the alliance.
A senior Congress leader said the first list of candidates sent by the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) will have to be reworked. He said though the central election committee (CEC) of the party will meet at New Delhi on March 9 also, candidates for Odisha will be decided later taking the developing situation into account.
Besides, Congress is enthusiastic about the fact that by stitching an alliance with the BJD, the BJP will leave the Opposition space to it.
The Congress leadership expects the vote share of the party which was 16 per cent in 2019 election to improve to around 25 to 30 per cent if the BJD and BJP enter into an alliance. He said the number of seats will also increase to double digits.
The Congress slogan of nine to 90 seats may not be achievable in the 2024 elections. But the party may develop into a strong opposition force in the 2029 elections, a senior leader told The New Indian Express.
Congress is likely to field candidates from 20 Lok Sabha seats leaving Mayurbhanj to the JMM. In the Assembly elections, the party will contest from a majority of seats leaving around 9-10 to CPI, CPM and JMM.