Congress's 1st Lok Sabha candidates list to be announced today, speculation mounts over Gandhi family's seats

The anticipation surrounding the composition of Congress's first Lok Sabha candidates list reached a crescendo as the Central Election Committee (CEC) convened on March 7 at the party's headquarters in Delhi. However, the suspense lingered as the list was not released, keeping speculation alive regarding the seats that would be represented by the Gandhis.

Sources close to the party have indicated that the much-anticipated list is expected to be announced today.

Among those present at the meeting were Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and former Chief Sonia Gandhi, with Rahul Gandhi, currently leading the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Jaipur, notably absent, despite initial plans to join virtually.

The name of Rahul Gandhi has been suggested for the Wayanad seat by the party's screening committee in Kerala. It is highly probable that Rahul Gandhi, the incumbent MP from Wayanad, will seek re-election from this constituency. However, the question remains whether he will also contest from his former bastion, Amethi.

Another intriguing aspect is the potential political debut of Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Despite fervent calls from party workers for her to contest from Raebareli following her mother's decision to vacate the seat for Rajya Sabha polls, her candidacy remains uncertain.

Speculations abound regarding potential candidates in the first list. Shashi Tharoor, the incumbent MP from Thiruvananthapuram, is expected to seek re-election.

In Chhattisgarh, former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel is likely to contest from Rajnandgaon, alongside Tamradhwaj Sahu from Durg, Jyotsna Mahant from Korba, and Shiv Dehariya from Janjgir-Champa seat.

Delhi, a pivotal battleground, presents its own challenges. The local Congress unit has put forth a lengthy roster of candidates for the seven Lok Sabha seats. However, the final decision rests with the party high command, who have instructed the Delhi unit to streamline their selections before seeking approval.

For the Chandni Chowk seat, names like JP Agrawal, Sandeep Dikshit, and Alka Lamba have been floated. In Northeast Delhi, contenders include Arvinder Singh Lovely and Anil Chowdhary, while Rajkumar Chauhan and Udit Raj are being considered for Northwest Delhi.