Congress Releases Another Poll List for 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, No Decision On Amethi, Raebareli

The party has announced its candidate list for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The Mumbai unit’s vice president is pitted against Union Minister Piyush Goyal, while actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar will contest from the Gurgaon constituency and former Union Minister Anand Sharma from the Kangra constituency in Himachal Pradesh. Another candidate, former MLA Satpal Raizada, has been fielded from the Hamirpur constituency in Himachal Pradesh.

In Maharashtra, the party has selected Bhushan Patil, the vice president of its Mumbai unit, to contest against Union Minister Piyush Goyal. The announcement of the candidates has caused speculation, especially regarding the potential nominations for Raebareli and Amethi. The last date for filing nominations for the seats, which will go to polls on May 20, is Friday, May 3.

Speculation is also rife that the party may field former president Rahul Gandhi from Amethi again, where he lost to the BJP’s Smriti Irani in 2019, and from Kerala’s Wayanad. For Raebareli, the name doing the rounds is that of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, whose electoral debut is expected to enthuse party workers. The Congress has revealed the names of all nine candidates it is fielding from Haryana, with the tenth Lok Sabha seat being contested by its ally, the Aam Aadmi Party.

In Himachal Pradesh, Mr. Babbar and Mr. Sharma will contest against BJP veterans, while in Maharashtra, the party has chosen candidates to face off against prominent figures from opposing factions. The party’s decision-making process for Raebareli and Amethi has drawn attention, with the Amethi unit of the Congress staging a protest earlier on Tuesday demanding the declaration of a candidate from the “Gandhi parivar (family)”. The party has not yet made a decision, and the anticipation continues.