New Delhi: In response to the BJP's recent announcement of 195 candidates, the Congress has unveiled its initial list featuring 39 names, with prominent leaders like Rahul Gandhi, Shashi Tharoor, and Bhupesh Baghel.
Rahul Gandhi is set to contest from Wayanad in Kerala, and it remains uncertain if he will also run from Amethi, as he did in 2019. Shashi Tharoor will be contesting from Thiruvananthapuram, a seat he has held for three terms, while Bhupesh Baghel will run from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh.
Other notable figures in the list include Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal, who will contest from Alapuzzha in Kerala, and DK Suresh, the brother of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, running from Bengaluru Rural.
The candidate announcements primarily focus on southern and northeastern states, with 16 candidates from Kerala, seven from Karnataka, six from Chhattisgarh, and four from Telangana. Additionally, candidates have been named from Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, and Lakshadweep.
The strategic focus on the southern region is deliberate, given Congress's presence in Karnataka and Telangana, where the BJP has comparatively weaker influence. While revealing the names, Venugopal emphasized that 24 out of the 39 candidates are from OBC, SC, ST, and minority communities.
The selection process is ongoing, and more names are expected as the INDIA alliance finalizes seat-sharing, especially in states like Maharashtra, where negotiations have proven challenging for both the NDA and INDIA alliances.
Rahul Gandhi's ongoing engagement in the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, scheduled to end in Mumbai on March 17, might also contribute to the delay in finalizing Maharashtra's seat-sharing arrangements. A massive rally is planned in Mumbai on that day, inviting leaders from all INDIA party members.