LS polls: Congress names 43 candidates in second list

PTI, Mar 12, 2024, 7:10 PM IST

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday announced its second list of 43 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding Kamal Nath’s son Nakul Nath once again from Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara and Ashok Gehlot’s son Vaibhav Gehlot from Rajasthan’s Jalore.

The party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi has been fielded from Assam’s Jorhat and sitting MP Pradyut Bordoloi from Nagaon. Gaurav Gogoi, the son of former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, is the sitting MP of Kaliabor.

Rahul Kaswan, who switched over from the BJP a few days ago, has been fielded from Churu in Rajasthan. Kaswan is the outgoing MP from Churu and has represented the constituency twice.

He is the son of four-time former MP Ram Singh Kaswan and grandson of former MP Deep Chand Kaswan. His mother Kamala Kaswan was an MLA.

While Harish Chandra Meena, a close confidant of senior Congress leader Sachin Pilot and former DGP, has been fielded from the Tonk-Sawai Madhopur constituency, Karan Singh Uchiyarda will contest from Jodhpur.

Vaibhav Gehlot, who unsuccessfully contested the last Lok Sabha election from Jodhpur, has been fielded from Jalore this time.

The list has several young faces who have replaced the old guard. Of the party’s 43 candidates on this list, 76.7 per cent are below the age of 60 years.

Announcing the candidates at a press conference at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s residence here, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said the second list comprises 12 seats from Assam, 10 each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, seven from Gujarat, three from Uttarakhand and one seat from Daman and Diu.

“Out of the 43 candidates, 33 are from SCs/STs/OBCs and minorities. This second list clearly reflects our idea as 76.7 per cent of the candidates are from SCs, STs, OBCs and minorities and also, 76.7 per cent (of the candidates) are those below 60 years,” he said, adding that the party has fielded young faces and ensured social justice as well.

Congress treasurer Ajay Maken said 25 of the candidates announced by the party are below 50 years of age, eight between 51 and 60 years and 10 between 61 and 72 years.

“We hope the people will help these good candidates win the Lok Sabha election and help fulfil the Congress’ guarantees and strengthen the Congress’ ideology in the Lok Sabha,” he said.

Among those fielded from Assam are Garjan Mashhary from the Kokrajar-ST seat, former minister and MLA Rakibul Hussain from Dhubri, Deep Bayan from Barpeta, Madhab Rajbanshi from Darrang-Udalguri, Mira Barthakur Goswami from Guwahati, Joyram Engleng from Diphu-ST, Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury from Karimganj and Surjya Kanta Sarkar from Silchar-SC.

The Congress this time denied a ticket to the sitting MP from Barpeta Abdul Khaleeque and fielded Bayan from the seat.

In Uttarakhand, former state Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal has been fielded from the Garhwal seat, former MP Pradeep Tamta from Almora-SC and Jot Singh Guntsola from Tehri-Garhwal.

The party fielded Ketan Dahyabhai Patel from Daman and Diu.

In Gujarat, the Congress’ former social media chief Rohan Gupta has been fielded from the Ahmedabad-East seat.

The party’s second list has only four women candidates.

In its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress announced 39 names.

The second list came a day after the Congress’ central election committee, chaired by Kharge and former party chief Sonia Gandhi, met at the party headquarters here to finalise the candidates.

In the meeting, discussions were held for more than 60 seats in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Assam and the Union Territory of Daman and Diu.