Congress Announces 40 Candidates for Lok Sabha Elections, Rahul Gandhi to Contest from Wayanad

The Congress party has finalized the names of 40 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, with Rahul Gandhi set to contest from Keralas Wayanad constituency. Discussions were held on 60 Lok Sabha seats across 11 states and union territories during the CEC meeting.

New Delhi: The Congress Central Election Committee (CEC) has finalized the names of 40 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, including that of Rahul Gandhi from Kerala's Wayanad, sources said on Thursday. The CEC meeting, chaired by party president Mallikarjun Kharge, discussed a total of 60 Lok Sabha seats from 11 states and union territories.

Discussions on Key States

Discussions were held on Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Sikkim, Tripura, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, and Lakshwadeep. Congress legislature party leader V D Satheesan announced that the party will contest 16 seats in Kerala, while four will be contested by its allies in the state. The CEC has decided on the candidates for the 16 seats, and the AICC will announce their names on Friday.

Rahul Gandhi's Candidacy

Rahul Gandhi will seek re-election from Kerala's Wayanad seat, according to sources. AICC in-charge Delhi Deepak Babaria stated that a preliminary discussion took place for Delhi candidates, where the party is contesting three seats, while its INDIA bloc ally AAP is contesting the remaining four. Further discussions on Delhi seats will be held on March 11.

Chhattisgarh and Other Candidates

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel will be fielded from Rajnandgaon, while former minister Tamradhwaj Sahu is set to contest from the state's Mahasamund seat. Congress general secretary organization K C Venugopal is also among the finalized candidates, while former Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister T S Singhdeo will not be contesting the polls.

Senior Leaders Present

Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, Venugopal, and other senior leaders who are part of the CEC were present at the meeting. The Congress has not declared any candidates so far, but sources indicate that the party is likely to release its first list of candidates soon to enable the nominees to begin campaigning.

Potential Contests from Amethi and Rae Bareli

There is speculation that Rahul Gandhi may also contest from Amethi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from Rae Bareli, a seat previously held by Sonia Gandhi. Both seats are considered bastions of the Gandhi family, and local Congress units have demanded that the two scions of the Congress first family should contest from there. Rahul Gandhi, who was previously an MP from Amethi, lost the seat in 2019 but won from Wayanad in Kerala.

State Units' Preparations

Meanwhile, several state units of the Congress have already held meetings of their respective screening committees and forwarded the list of probable candidates in their states. Ambika Soni, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, T S Singhdeo, and Mohammad Jawaid are other members of the CEC.

As the Lok Sabha elections draw closer, the Congress is finalizing its candidate list and strategizing to strengthen its position in key states. The party's decision to field Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad and the potential contests from Amethi and Rae Bareli add to the intrigue surrounding the upcoming electoral battle.