In the heart of New Delhi, Congress luminary Mallikarjun Kharge, alongside former party steward Rahul Gandhi, is set to preside over a momentous gathering of the central election committee on the 7th of March. The objective? To grant approval to nearly a hundred Lok Sabha candidates hailing from approximately twelve states.
The screening committees, meticulously curated for the north-eastern states and the pivotal regions of Delhi, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Karnataka, and Telangana, have painstakingly distilled a roster of potential candidates over recent weeks. These names, a testament to political prowess, will undergo intense scrutiny and subsequent approval by the venerable Central Election Committee.
Privy to insider insights, the sagacious former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel, and his erstwhile deputy, TS Singh Deo, emerge as likely contenders for the Rajnandgaon and Bilaspur constituencies, respectively. Concurrently, the state unit chief, Deepak Baij, is anticipated to represent Bastar, with Jyotsana Mahant eyeing Korba, Tamradhwaj Sahu vying for Durg, Vikas Upadhayay positioning for Raipur, and Shiv Dahariya contending for Janjgir-Champa.
Turning our gaze to Rajasthan, the venerable former Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, manifests a reluctance to partake in the national polls. However, he ardently seeks a ticket for his progeny, Vaibhav Gehlot, from the Jalore-Sirohi seat. Within the intricate web of party dynamics, Gehlot’s newfound activism in the state, coupled with State Unit Chief Govind Dotasara’s involvement, foretells a compelling political narrative.
The tapestry of potential candidates weaves through the fabric of Rajasthan’s political landscape. Ex-minister Ashok Chandna, a plausible contender for Kota, AICC secretary Dheeraj Gurjar potentially representing Bhilwara, and former MP Raghu Sharma eyeing Ajmer contribute to the intricate design.
In the Congress-ruled enclave of Karnataka, the screening panel recommends a cadre of fresh faces, including Shreya Patel, Raksha Ramaiah, GB Vinay Kumar, Priyanka Jharkiohli, Mrunal Hebbalkar, and Sowmya Reddy. Noteworthy is the collaborative effort of CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shiv Kumar, diligently crafting the roster to ensure the Congress’s dominance over the 28 seats in the southern state.
Across the serene landscapes of Kerala, the Congress contemplates the replication of its existing MPs, yet the fate of Rahul Gandhi remains uncertain. The dilemma persists between a potential reiteration from Wayanad or a strategic shift to Telangana, where Chief Minister Revanth Reddy vows to secure victory across all 17 parliamentary seats.
In the bustling political arena of Delhi, the party contemplates fielding stalwarts such as JP Agarwal, Udit Raj, Alka Lamba, Sandeep Dikshit, Arvinder Lovey, or Jai Kishan, strategically aligning with the AAP pact to contest three seats.
Venturing into Haryana, the party contemplates veteran Kumari Selja for Ambala, Gita Bhukkal for Sirsa, Deepender Hooda for Rohtak, Col Rohit Chaudhary for Sonipat, Jitendra Bhardwaj for Gurgaon, and Karan Dalal for Faridabad, as revealed by party insiders. The Kurukshetra seat, per the pact, finds its place with AAP.
AICC General Secretary in charge of Delhi and Haryana, Dipak Babaria, emphasizes a delicate balance between youth and experience in candidate selection. Cognizant of the electoral significance, the Congress strives for optimal caste representation matched with a meticulous assessment of candidates’ winnability.
The Congress’s initial plan to unveil candidate names by late February and declare them in the first week of March faced a slight delay. Rahul Gandhi’s engagement with the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, coupled with unresolved seat-sharing agreements in Bihar, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, contributed to the postponement, as reported by party insiders.